A Federal High Court, sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital has convicted and sentenced two internet fraudsters, Sarafadeen Abibullahi and Tijani Babatunde (a.k.a Isabel Wood and a.k.a Sutter Hather Ann) to four months in prison respectively.
The convicts were arrested on November 15, 2018 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, following intelligence reports on their fraudulent activities. They were accordingly arraigned by the Ibadan Zonal Office of the Commission on December 11, 2018 on three and one-count charges respectively.
They opted for a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to an amended lone-count charge that was subsequently filed against them.
The charge against Sarafedeen reads: “That you, Sarafadeen Abibullahi, on the 15th of November 2018 at Awa Jebu in Ogun State within the jurisdiction of this honorable court did input data into your e-mail address: Marystephanie950@gmail.com and represented yourself to one Ronald to be a female known as Pamella Alexandra and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14 of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015.”
The one against Tijani reads: “That you Tijani Babatunde (a.k.a Isabel Wood, Sutter Hather Ann) sometime in 2018, at Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, knowingly sent a pornographic and indecent pictures with your e-mail isabelwood7501@gmail.com, through a computer system and network to Jesus Gonzales and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24(1)(a) and punishable under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015.”
Considering the terms of the plea bargain, Justice Abubakar sentenced Sarafadeen to four months imprisonment with effect from the date of his arraignment, while Tijani’s sentencing took effect from the date of his arrest.
The court also ordered that Tijani forfeits one iphone X, one iphone 5, one Macbook Air Laptop and one Toyota Camry Car to the Federal Government of Nigeria, being proceeds of crime.
Packaged by Emmanuel Okafor
