A Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has jailed a self-styled gospel singer, Moses Otitoju, and eight others for offences bordering on cybercrime, conspiracy, and misappropriation of funds.
Otitoju was convicted alongside Ayodele Joseph, Adeoye Joseph, and Abubakar Abdulmalik, all arraigned by the anti-graft agency on similar charges.
The offences were brought against them by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, in a statement on Friday, said the 31-year-old gospel artiste from Iyamoye in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, was sentenced to six months imprisonment without the option of a fine by Justice Abimbola Awogboro.
Otitoju was found guilty of retaining the proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to over N8.4 million in his bank account.
The charge against him partly read, “That you, Otitoju Moses Sesan, sometime between October 2024 and December 2025, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did retain control of the gross sum of N8,404,339 in your account, being proceeds of criminal conduct, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17(a) and (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.”
Ayodele, who was found to have retained N243,750 in his bank account, was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment without the option of a fine.
His Tecno 19 phone was ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.
Adeoye, from Okene LGA of Kogi State, was handed eight months imprisonment without an option of fine as well.
He forfeited the sum of $220, an iPhone 13, and a Tecno Pop 9 phone to the Federal Government.
Abubakar was sentenced to six months imprisonment, with an order of forfeiture of his iPhone 16 and Samsung S10 to the Federal Government.
The EFCC was represented in the prosecution of the cases by Aliyu Adebayo, Sesan Ola, Rashidat Alao, and Mustapha Kaigama, who tendered statements, exhibits, and sums recovered as restitution, which were admitted in evidence.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Justices Haleema Saleeman and Sulaiman Akanbi of the Kwara State High Court convicted Emeka Achi, Isaac Oluwafemi, Afolabi Olatoye, Zubeiru Zubeiru Junior, and Abdulkadir Taofeek on charges including cybercrime and misappropriation.
Justice Akanbi sentenced Abdulkadir to three years imprisonment with an option of a N500,000 fine and ordered the final forfeiture of N800,000, one iPhone 14 Pro Max, and a Samsung phone to the Federal Government.
On her part, Justice Saleeman sentenced Emeka, Isaac, and Afolabi to six months imprisonment each with an option of N100,000 fine.
Emeka was further ordered to refund N3.35 million within three months and to report every fortnight with his parents to the EFCC until full repayment is made.
Credit: punchng.com
