Internet fraudster sentenced to 16 months in prison

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Office, on Tuesday secured the conviction of Temitope Alani Teslim for internet fraud. Justice Sherifat Solebo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, convicted him for offences bordering on possession of fraudulent documents. Teslim was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Army Corps of […]

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Office, on Tuesday secured the conviction of Temitope Alani Teslim for internet fraud.

Justice Sherifat Solebo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, convicted him for offences bordering on possession of fraudulent documents.

Teslim was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Army Corps of the Military Police on May 16, 2018 at Ogba, Lagos, and was subsequently handed over to the EFCC.

During investigation, he was said to have written three statements in which he confessed he was into dating scam.

He was re-arraigned on Tuesday on an amended 22-count charge bordering on possession of fraudulent documents.

One of the documents read that the accused, on or about June 25, 2018 in Lagos, possessed a document titled ‘My Discussion With Stevieboy66’, in which he presented himself as a white female, Hannah Ciar, knowing that to be false.

Another count read that Teslim, a.k.a. Hannah Ciar, on or about June 25, 2018 in Lagos, had in his possession a document titled ‘Happy Hump Day’ containing claims he knew to be false.

He pleaded guilty to the charges, but the prosecuting counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, told the court that the defendant had entered a plea bargain with the EFCC.

After hearing the terms of agreement reached by the prosecution and defence, Justice Solebo convicted Teslim, sentencing him to one year and four months in prison.

The judge also ordered that he should forfeit to the federal government an iPhone 7 and a silver Acer Chrome and battery power pack, which he had used “as the instrumentality of fraud”.