The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentence of two fraudsters before Justice F.N. Ogazi of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, for money laundering and fraudulent impersonation.
The convicts, Agboola Abdullahi Abiodun and Victor Okonjo, were separately arraigned on charges bordering on money laundering and cybercrime offences.
Agboola was arraigned on a three-count charge, one of which reads: “That you AGBOOLA ABDULLAHI ABIODUN sometime in 2025 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly disguised part of the origin of your illicit gain accrued from your unlawful act to wit: dating scam, to a Black Toyota Venza, which property forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Similarly, one of the two-count charge preferred against Okonjo reads: “That you, VICTOR OKONJO, sometime in 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently impersonated one Aaron Bauer a male citizen from United States of America by holding yourself out as such, with the intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.”
The defendants pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, F.B. Orilade reviewed the facts of the cases, and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Ogazi found them guilty of the offences and sentenced them as follows:
Agboola Abdullahi Abiodun was sentenced to four years imprisonment on count one, one year on count two and one year on count three.
Victor Okonjo was sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of N500,000 fine on count one and four years imprisonment on count two.
The Judge ordered that the sentences of imprisonment imposed on the convicts shall run concurrently, with effect from the date of their arrest.
Subsequently, their mobile devices, laptops, a Toyota Venza, and a 2020 Mercedes-Benz were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Ogazi also directed that the forfeited assets be sold and the proceeds returned to the victims adding that where the victims cannot be traced, the proceeds are to be paid into the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
