In a major boost to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) anti-cybercrime campaign, a Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has sentenced a 23-year-old serial internet fraudster, Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, to two years imprisonment without the option of fine.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro delivered the verdict on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, after finding Olalekan guilty of a two-count charge bordering on cheating and impersonation, brought against him by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
Olalekan, an indigene of Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was also ordered to forfeit N124.4 million found in his Wema Bank account, a white Mercedes Benz ML350 worth N30 million, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max—all proceeds of his fraudulent activities.
The convict was found to have impersonated foreign nationals, including one Joshua Compbell Novak, using fake Gmail and TextPlus accounts between August and December 2024.
Through this deception, he defrauded his 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 charges.
Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Sesan Ola, called an investigating officer, Paul Aniebonam, who detailed how the convict used fake online profiles to defraud unsuspecting foreign victims.
Aniebonam also tendered key exhibits , including bank statements, vehicle documents, the mobile device used in the scam, and four extra-judicial statements made by Olalekan.
Justice Awogboro sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment on each count, to run consecutively, and granted the final forfeiture of all assets to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The case stemmed from a report submitted to the EFCC by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which first uncovered Olalekan’s cybercrime operations.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
