The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, secured the conviction of the trio of Matthew Jeff Efuwape, Sunday Oshinalke and Ajayi Babatunde Mateen before Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State and Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of Federal High Court sitting in Oshogbo, Osun State on one count charge each of impersonation, contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
The charge against Efuwape reads: “That you, Matthew Jeff Efuwape ‘M’, sometime in 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one Joane Thomson on Google Hangout App via your Google Gmail account with an address: joanethomson50@gmail.com, with intent to gain monetary advantage for yourself and thereby the committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) (iv) of the same Act.”
The charge against Oshinalke reads: “That you, Sunday Oshinalke ‘M’ (a.k.a Mary Irene), sometime between 2018 and 2021 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, impersonated one Mary Irene, a citizen of United States of America, by which you obtained benefits and gained advantage, a pretext which you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (i) and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) (iv) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015.”
The charge against Ajayi reads: “That you, Ajayi Babatunde Mateen ‘M’, on 10th day of October, 2021 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired with one Ayomide Balogun and Adebunmi Adedeji Moses to impersonate a white woman with intent to gain monetary advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (2) (b) of the same Act.”
Upon their arraignments, they pleaded ‘guilty’ to the respective charges filed against them by the EFCC.
Consequently, Justice Uche Agomoh convicted and sentenced Efuwape to one year, two months imprisonment and Oshinalke to ten months in jail.
In the same vein, Justice Ayo-Emmanuel convicted and sentenced Ajayi to eight months imprisonment.
The courts also ordered the convicts to restitute their various victims and forfeit all items recovered from them to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
