A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has slated December 10, 2014 to sentence one Okediji Kabiru who pleaded guilty to internet fraud. Kabiru was brought before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo on the allegation that he defrauded some white women of about $9,190 under the guise that he was getting married to them. He had pleaded guilty to all the 11 counts that bordered on internet fraud and forgery which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission levelled against him. According to the prosecution, Kabiru, operating under fictitious names such as Jack Loper and Patrick Dempster, had at various times obtained various amounts in US dollars from one Jozzet Helle, one Debra Williams and one Manual J. Silberge to the tune of the stolen sum.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Babatunde Shonaike, had told the court that Kabiru claiming to be the ladies’ ‘fiancée’ had obtained the money from them under the pretext that the money represented payment for his wedding engagement to the women. Kabiru, who was said to have committed the crimes on January 30, 2014, was equally accused of forging various documents to facilitate the cyber fraud. Some of the documents as listed in the charge numbered ID/234C/2014 included a Switzerland Regional Bid Registration Certificate, an entry visa into Nigeria with number 1055487 and a driving licence with number BDG70992AA4 registered under the name of one Emeka Johnson.
The accused was also said to have presented the forged licence to Ecobank Plc in a bid to facilitate his obtaining money from the foreigners.According to the EFCC, the offences were in contravention of sections 390, 363 and 318 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011. Reviewing the facts of the case on Wednesday, Shonaike explained that the EFCC acted upon a petition dated February 14, 2014 accusing Kabiru and his syndicate of scamming innocent people. Shonaike said the EFCC deployed its investigative team which apprehended Kabiru at Abule Egba in possession of various items used to perpetrate internet fraud.
The court on Wednesday admitted as exhibits the various items tendered by the prosecution, said to have been recovered from the accused person.
The items included a laptop, an internet modem, two mobile phones, a GTB ATM card, a Switzerland Regional Bid Registration Certificate, an entry visa into Nigeria with number 1055487, the licence and a Bank of America cashier cheque. Following Kabiru’s admission of the crime, Shonaike informed the court that the accused had entered a plea bargain with the anti-graft commission and prayed that he should be sentenced accordingly.
Before adjourning till December 10, 2014 to hand down the sentence, Justice Lawal-Akapo asked that the accused be told that the court was at liberty to vary the terms of the plea bargain by adding to or subtracting from the terms and conditions.
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