Thursday, May 22, 2025 - Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced a 23-year-old serial internet fraudster, Adebisi Olalekan, to 24-month imprisonment without the option of fine.
Olalekan, a native of Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East local
government area of Ekiti State, was convicted on Wednesday after he was found
guilty of the two-count charge of offences bordering on cybercrime, including
cheating and impersonation preferred against him by the Ilorin Zonal
directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered the
forfeiture of N124,402,322 found in Olalekan’s Wema Bank account, a Mercedes
Benz ML350 valued at N30m, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max used in perpetrating the
crimes.
The convict was accused of impersonating many foreign
nationals, including Joshua Compbell Novak, through fake Gmail and TextPlus
accounts between August and December 2024.
Through these fraudulent identities, he defrauded victims,
including Allisa Motazedi and Brittany Boggess, of $100,000 and $1,000,
respectively.
One of the charges read
“That you,
Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, between August 2024 and December 2024 within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Joshua
Compbell Novak via your Gmail account and TextPlus number with the intent to
obtain a total sum of $100,000 from Allisa Motazedi, which you did obtain,
thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(ii) of the Cybercrime
(Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(IV)
of the same Act.”
Olalekan pleaded guilty to both counts.
Upon his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Sesan Ola, led an
investigating officer, Paul Aniebonam, in evidence narrating how the convict
created fake online profiles to deceive and defraud unsuspecting foreign
victims.
Aniebonam confirmed to the court that proceeds of the
fraudulent activities were used to acquire the luxury vehicle in October 2024,
while over N124m in his bank account was traced to similar illicit transactions
He also tendered key exhibits, including the bank statement,
car documents, mobile device, and four extra-judicial statements made by the
defendant.
Justice Awogboro sentenced Olalekan to 12-month imprisonment
on each count, to run consecutively.
The court also granted the final forfeiture of all assets
traced to the convict to the federal government of Nigeria.
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