EFCC ARRAIGN FBI WANTED SUSPECT FOR INTERNET FRAUD
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Thursday, arraigned a suspect declared wanted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations, Joseph Oyediran, before a Kwara State High Court.
Oyediran was arraigned on five counts bordering on Internet fraud and other related offences and obtaining money under false pretences.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
It was gathered that the 36-year-old benefited about N60m from Internet fraud via the use of Western Union Money Transfer.
The charges read in part, “That you, Joseph Oyediran, aka Joe MG and Morris Graves, sometime in May 2015, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N1,421,968 from one Andrea Smith, a white American woman, on the false pretext that you were Joe MG, a white American man in love with her, a representation you knew to be false and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud-related Offences Act No.14 of 2006.”
In view of the defendant’s plea, the prosecuting counsel, Sesan Ola, who prayed the court to give a trial date to allow the prosecution to prove its case, urged the judge to remand Oyediran in prison.
The presiding judge, Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar, adjourned the matter till October 9 for the commencement of trial.
Similarly, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced one Stephen Odanye to six months imprisonment for cheating by impersonation.
It was gathered that Odanye had presented himself to one Lynn Smith as a white man, who was into the supply of construction equipment.
The EFCC had on Wednesday arraigned Odanye on one count of impersonation, which he pleaded guilty to.
Delivering his judgment on Thursday, Justice Abdulgafar held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He said, “The prosecution called one witness, Olamide Sadiq, an operative of the EFCC, who narrated to how the convict was arrested and items recovered from his laptop computer.
“The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt as the evidence of the sole witness was not challenged. I find you, Stephen Odanye, guilty of one count of attempt to cheat by impersonation and hereby sentence you to six months imprisonment without an option of fine.”
