Court Sentences Nigerian Final-year University Student To 3 Years Imprisonment Over N35 Million Fraud

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A report by SaharaReporters, Giwa Nurudeen, a 24-year-old final-year student of the University of Ilorin, has been sentenced to three years imprisonment over an internet scam worth N35 million.

Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Thursday gave the verdict after having found the undergraduate guilty of the offence.

A statement by the spokesman for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wilson Uwajuren, said Nurudeen was arraigned by the anti-corruption agency on three counts of internet fraud.

According to him, the young man confessed to having acted as a 'picker' for other suspected internet fraudsters who are still at large.

The judge then sentenced him to three years imprisonment; a one-year custodial sentence at the Correctional Centre on each of the three counts, which would run concurrently.

He also gave the convict an option of a fine of N100, 000 on each of the counts, which amounts to N300,000.

The statement read partly, “Giwa, a native of Ibadan, ran into a problem on May 4, 2021, when operatives of the EFCC received credible intelligence about the activities of some suspected internet fraudsters operating around Tanke Area of Ilorin, an action which led to his arrest.

“Count 2 of the charge reads: 'That you, Giwa Nurudeen, sometime between the month of January 2020 and December 2020 at Ilorin, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did knowingly have under your control the sum of N30, 317, 697.00 (Thirty Million, Three Hundred and Seventeen Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety-Seven Naira) in your account number 2077856979 domiciled with United Bank for Africa Plc. which you knew to be unlawfully obtained and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 319A of the Penal Code.'

“He pleaded guilty to the charge. Upon his plea, counsel for the EFCC, Sesan Ola, led Idam Chukwuemeka, an operative of the EFCC to review the facts of the case. In his evidence, Idam narrated how Giwa was arrested based on an intelligence report. He told the court how the investigation unearthed a whopping sum of N35 million suspected to be proceeds of crime in one of his accounts.

“In his statement, Giwa confessed to having acted as a picker for other suspected internet fraudsters who are still at large. His confessional statements, iPhone 12, and a draft of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) were tendered and admitted in evidence.

”Delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Oyinloye said, 'I have carefully considered the evidence of the prosecution, the plea of the defendant and the exhibits tendered. This court holds the view that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt in line with the provisions of Section 130 of the Evidence Act. I hereby convict you on counts 1, 2, and 3.”

“Consequently, Giwa was given a one-year custodial sentence at the Correctional Centre on each of the three counts, which would run concurrently. The judge also gave the convict option of a fine of N100, 000 on each of the counts, which amounts to N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only).

“In addition, the court ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s iPhone 12, a draft of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira Only) and the sum of N231,000 (Two Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand Naira Only) found in his account domiciled in United Bank for Africa, UBA, to the Federal Government.”