Footballer, 2 others jailed for cybercrime in Kwara

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced a self-acclaimed footballer, Musa Ayomide Olasunkanmi, and two others, Ayomide Fawas Olaoye and Owolabi Bolaji Abduljeleel, to prison. They were convicted for offences bordering on cybercrime and unlawful possession of criminal proceeds.  The convicts were prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and […]

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced a self-acclaimed footballer, Musa Ayomide Olasunkanmi, and two others, Ayomide Fawas Olaoye and Owolabi Bolaji Abduljeleel, to prison.

They were convicted for offences bordering on cybercrime and unlawful possession of criminal proceeds. 

The convicts were prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC called witnesses who reviewed the facts of the case and tendered exhibits, including the defendants’ confessional statements, recovered phones, cash, and other digital evidence.

Delivering judgment, Justice Haleema Saleeman found Olasunkanmi guilty on a three-count charge after he admitted to receiving over N3.4 million in his Kuda Microfinance Bank account, proceeds traced to internet fraud.

 He was also found to have defrauded two foreigners, Karyn and Courtney Rouse, of $500 and $1,000 respectively, under the guise of a romantic relationship.

Similarly, the judge convicted Ayomide Fawas Olaoye, also known as “Lizzy,” for retaining N2,069,000 in his Moniepoint account, funds traced to fraudulent transactions.

In a separate ruling, Owolabi Bolaji Abduljeleel was convicted for impersonating a white woman named Rohan Scailet on Facebook to deceive a victim identified as Matt in the United States.

Justice Saleeman described the offences as a growing menace and warned that the court would continue to impose penalties that reflect the gravity of cybercrime in the society.

The convicts were sentenced to various jail terms ranging from three to eight months, with the option of fines totalling about N2 million.

They also forfeited two iPhone 14 Pro Max, two iPhone XS Max, two Samsung S9, a motorcycle, and $1,350 cumulatively to the federal government.