On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, successfully obtained Victor Adedeji Oniyiku’s conviction and punishment for online fraud before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court located in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Oniyiku was found guilty by Justice Aneke of the one-count indictment that the EFCC had brought against him for using a fake internet persona, Hartford Sarah Jane, to commit fraud.
When the prisoner was first arraigned in December 2023, he entered a guilty plea. The trial judge then postponed the consideration of the facts and ruling until Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
The accusation states: “That you, VICTOR ADEDEJI ONIYIKU, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Hartford sometime in 2021 in Lagos.” Jane Sarah by pretending to be such on an Illinois driver’s licence in order to benefit oneself, and thereby committed an offence under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015, which is punishable under Section 22(2)(b).
After reviewing the evidence, Chinenye Okezie, the prosecution’s attorney, urged the court to find him guilty and impose the appropriate penalty.
After that, Justice Aneke found him guilty and gave him a 12-month prison sentence, with the possibility of a N500,000 (five hundred thousand naira) fine and 100 hours of community service. In addition, the judge mandated that the Federal Government forfeit the gadgets that were taken back from him.
The prisoner’s journey to the Correctional Centre started when he was taken into custody for charges relating to the internet by agents of the EFCC’s Lagos Command. He was found guilty and given the appropriate sentence after entering a guilty plea to the only count that was filed against him.
