A 500-level student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso in Oyo State, Adebowale Abiola, has been sentenced to one year imprisonment over $104,500 (N39.7m) romance scam.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested him after intelligence about the criminal activities of a fraud syndicate in Lekki, Lagos state.
The convict, who resides at Brownstone Estate, Ikate, Elegushi, presented himself as Burton J. Smith, a citizen of United States of American and former military officer, defrauded one Courtney Selina Kaye.
While using the identity of Smith, Abiola scammed Kaye, who sent money to him by selling $104,500 bitcoin from her wallet on local bitcoin website in 2019.
Abiola was arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of Lagos State Special Offences Court on an amended one count bordering on possession of fraudulent documents containing false pretence.
After Abiola pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge, prosecution counsel, I. A. Mohammed, told the court about his plea bargain.
Delivering her judgement, Justice Taiwo sentenced him to one year imprisonment with an option of N300,000 fine, adding that the N5m recovered from him be returned to the victim through the Federal Government.
The judge also ordered that a black Mercedes Benz GLK, with number plate AKD 573 GK, recovered from the convict be forfeited to the victim through the Federal Government.
Furthermore, N26.6million, being the remaining part of $104,500 obtained from Kaye, will be restituted to her from the convicts’ assets.
The judge said the convict must enter into a bond with the EFCC to be of good behaviour and never engage in financial crimes within and outside Nigeria after his release from prison.
