Follow Up: Days After EFCC Snubs OOPL Demands, Court Jails Three, Remands One Over Cybercrime
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports as gathered that the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted three internet fraudsters and ordered the remand of a fourth suspect, days after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) defied demands by the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) over the arrest of 99 individuals during a raid at its hotel complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
OTN News further reports as gathered that, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu, on Friday delivered judgment on the cases of four defendants arrested during the EFCC operation, which sparked public debate.
According to the information gathered, the convicted fraudsters, Isaac Akinwale, Ibrahim Azeez Olatunji, and Habeeb Oladipupo Oshundairo, pleaded guilty to cybercrime-related offences.
They faced multiple charges bordering on false pretence, identity theft, and obtaining money under false pretence, contrary to the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and the EFCC Act, 2004.
An EFCC operative, Umar Shuaibu, told the court that Akinwale posed online as a woman to defraud a victim of $500 through a celebrity scam.
Prosecuting counsel Franklin Ofoma presented exhibits including a 2007 Toyota Camry, a Galaxy smartphone, and a bank draft of ₦400,000.
Delivering judgment, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Akinwale to three months in prison or a fine of ₦1 million, while Olatunji received one month in prison or a ₦500,000 fine for a romance scam.
Oshundairo was ordered to perform 30 days of community service, which includes carrying a public awareness banner that reads: "Cybercrime Does Not Pay. Stay Away from Cybercrime.”
Oshundairo was convicted on two counts of impersonation and retaining ₦600,000 in criminal proceeds. The EFCC further alleged that he used a Gmail account ([perezdavis2377@gmail.com](mailto:perezdavis2377@gmail.com)) to pose as an expert in service certificates and revenue preparation, defrauding unsuspecting victims.
However, the fourth defendant, Onunoye Fawas Olamilekan, pleaded not guilty to allegations that he posed as “Nurse Becky” on Facebook to defraud victims of $50. His lawyer challenged the validity of the charges, arguing that the cited section of the Cybercrimes Act did not exist.
Justice Dipeolu ordered Olamilekan’s remand at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending trial, which is scheduled for October 31, 2025.
The EFCC maintained that Olamilekan, sometime in 2025, used the Facebook account linked to the email [joypitard86@gmail.com](mailto:joypitard86@gmail.com) to impersonate a nurse with intent to obtain financial advantage.
The convictions come amid public scrutiny following the EFCC’s raid on the OOPL hotel, where 93 suspects were initially apprehended. While the OOPL management had demanded an apology and justification for the mass arrests, the anti-graft agency has pressed forward with prosecutions, underscoring its resolve to clamp down on cybercrime.
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