Court Jails Fraudster, 78-Year Old Docked for N25m Land Fraud

Court Jails Fraudster, 78-Year Old Docked for N25m Land Fraud

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan on Thursday, July 2, 2020, convicted and sentenced an internet fraudster, Olawale Ayomide Fadoju to 12 months imprisonment as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office docked a septuagenarian for N25million land scam.

The convict who hid under a pseudo name, ‘April Rozell’ to dupe his victims online,  was found guilty of criminal impersonation in one-count amended charge filed against him by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the EFCC. 

The offence runs contrary to Section 22 (2)(b) (i & ii) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention e.t.c) Act, 2015.

He pleaded guilty to the charge, following which prosecution counsel, Simon Ibekwute urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

Beside the jail term, the convict will also restitute to   his victim, the sum of $750.00 USD (Seven Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) and forfeit his iPhone 6 phone, being a proceed of crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

In a related development, the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Commission on Thursday, July 2, 2020, arraigned 78-years old, Alhaji Sheik Rauf Temitope Mustapha for alleged N25million land fraud. He was arraigned before Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan on  27-count charges, bordering on obtaining by false pretence and issuance of dud cheque.

The victim, Akibest en-Konsult Limited had alleged in a petition that the self-styled Muslim cleric collected the said sum for the procurement of 23 acres of land but failed to deliver the land. Moreso, after agreeing to refund the money, he issued a dud cheque for a first instalment refund of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira).

One of the charges read: “That you, Alhaji Sheik Rauf Temitope Mustapha on or about the 30th of October, 2017 within the Ibadan Judicial Division of this honourable court did issue a Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC cheque No. 00146244 dated the 31st October, 2017 in the sum of N3,000,000 to one Arkibest En-Konsult Limited in settlement of your financial obligations to them, which cheque upon presentation within three months of issuance was dishonoured by your bankers for lack of sufficient funds in the account to which its drawn and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(b) of the Dishonored Cheques (offences) Act, Cap D11, Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2014.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges, prompting prosecution counsel Dr. Ben Ubi, to ask the court for a trial date, and for the defendant to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the determination of his bail application.

The judge granted the prayer of the prosecution and adjourned hearing on the bail application till Tuesday, July 7, 2020.