Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday, July 3, 2025, convicted and sentenced one Olalere Kehinde Barnabas to two years imprisonment for internet fraud.
Barnabas was arraigned today on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrime to the tune of $2000 (Two Thousand United States Dollars) brought against him by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The charge reads: “That you, OLALERE KEHINDE BARNABAS, sometime in 2023, at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, with intent to gain advantage for yourself, did fraudulently impersonate one ‘Job Bonamassa’, a citizen of the United States of America, by holding yourself to unsuspecting victims via a fraudulent profile on your facebook and Instagram account and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 22(2)(b) and punishable under Section 22(2) (iv) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention).
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.
Given his plea, prosecution counsel, T.J. Banjo, called the investigating officer, Nwike Fortune, to give a brief review of the facts.
In his evidence, Fortune said: “The defendant was arrested at Favoured Height Estate, Lekki, Lagos on June 24, 2025.
“He was arrested alongside others and brought to the EFCC office at 15A, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
“He was cautioned and he made voluntary statements, where he confessed to being into celebrity scam- he misrepresented himself as a white man named Joe Bonamassa.”
Nwike further stated that “ The defendant confessed to having benefited 2000 USD only, equivalent to N1.8m from his victims as at 2023.
“He brought a GTB Bank manager’s cheque of N900,000 (Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) as part of his restitution.
Upon his arrest, an iPhone 14 was recovered from him. It was analysed and fraudulent documents were printed from the device.”
Banjo, thereafter, tendered the defendant’s statements and items recovered from him as evidence.
He also prayed the court to convict him as charged and sentence him accordingly.
Consequently, Justice Owoeye held that “The defendant, having admitted to the offence and narrating how the offence was committed as well as his admittance to deriving benefits, is hereby convicted as charged.”
In his allocutus, the defence counsel, Fabian Nwaoforji, prayed the court to “temper justice with mercy” in sentencing the defendant.
He also submitted that the defendant was a first-time offender and that he had pledged “to live a cybercrime-free life.”
The Judge sentenced Barnabas to two years imprisonment, with an option of a fine of N350,000 (Three Hundred and fifty Thousand Naira).
His iPhone device and manager’s cheque valued at N900,000 (Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The convict was arrested by operatives of the EFCC for internet-related offences. He was charged in court and jailed.
