The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of two fraudsters, Agboola Abdullahi Abiodun and Victor Okonjo, before Justice F. N. Ogazi of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, for offences bordering on money laundering and fraudulent impersonation.
The convicts were separately arraigned on charges bordering on money laundering and cybercrime offences.
Agboola was arraigned on a three-count charge, one count of which reads: “That you, AGBOOLA ABDULLAHI ABIODUN, sometime in 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly disguised part of the origin of your illicit gain accrued from your unlawful act, to wit: dating scam, to a black Toyota Venza, which property forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Similarly, one of the two-count charges preferred against Okonjo reads: “That you, VICTOR OKONJO, sometime in 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Aaron Bauer, a male citizen of the United States of America, by holding yourself out as such, with the intent to gain advantage for yourself, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.”
The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to them.
Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel, F. B. Orilade, reviewed the facts of the cases and urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Ogazi found the defendants guilty and sentenced them as follows:
Agboola Abdullahi Abiodun: Four years’ imprisonment on Count One, one year on Count Two and one year on Count Three.
Victor Okonjo: One year’s imprisonment with an option of ₦500,000 fine on Count One and four years’ imprisonment on Count Two.
The judge ordered that the terms of imprisonment imposed on the convicts run concurrently, with effect from the dates of their arrest.
The court subsequently ordered the forfeiture of their mobile devices, laptops, a Toyota Venza and a 2020 Mercedes-Benz to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Ogazi also directed that the forfeited assets be sold and the proceeds returned to the victims. Where the victims cannot be traced, the proceeds are to be paid into the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
