Kwara: Two convicts bag 300 hours community service in Ilorin
A Federal high court in Ilorin has sentenced two convicts to 300 hours of community service each.
They are Musa Buba, convicted for operating a bureau de change business without a valid license and Akinwale Olamilekan, from Owena Ijesha, Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State was found guilty of a lone count charge of cybercrime.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, handed down the sentences without an option of fine.
Both convicts are to serve their sentences each at a rate of five hours per day.
The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned both Musa and Akinwale on separate charges before the court on Thursday.
The charge sheet against Musa Buba reads: “That you, Musa Buba, sometime in July 2024 at Chikanda Market, Yashikira District, Baruten Local Government Area, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did carry on the business of another financial institution, to wit: Bureau De Change Business, without a valid license issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, contrary to Section 57 (1) & (2) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020, and punishable under Section 57(5)(b) of the same Act.”
In the case against Akinwale Olamilekan, the charge reads: “That you, Akinwale Olamilekan (Alias: Mary Williams), sometime in November 2024, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court, did fraudulently impersonate one Mary Williams via your iMessage account to obtain the sum of $950 US Dollars, from one Mark Durham, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act and punishable under Section 22 (2)(b)(iv) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges.
Convinced by the facts of the case, the uncontroverted evidence presented by the prosecution, led by Andrew Akoja, and the guilty pleas of the defendants, Justice Awogboro convicted and sentenced them accordingly.
In addition to the sentence, the court ordered Musa Buba to forfeit the sum of 409,500 CFA and N1,973,200 recovered from him at the point of arrest, to the Federal Government.
Similarly, the judge ordered Akinwale to forfeit the sum of $450 US Dollars, as restitution, and an iPhone 12 Pro Max, which he used in perpetrating the crime, to the Federal Government.
