Court remands three alleged internet fraudsters in EFCC custody

A Kwara state High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital on
Monday remanded three suspected internet fraudsters in the custody
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Ilorin Zonal office of the EFCC had arraigned the three
persons on alleged offences bordering on internet fraud before
Justice M. Abdulgafar.

The suspects are Akeem Mustapha, Murtala Rasheed and Abolarin
Samuel Sunday.

The charge preferred against the alleged fraudsters reads: “That
you, Murtala Rasheed ( Alias; Oluwakayode Adebayo) sometimes in
February 2019, at Ilorin, within the judicial division of the High
Court, with the intent to defraud, had in your possession a
document containing false pretence, to with; mail tagged sugar baby
from which you sent on Thursday, February 8, 2018 from your
acclaimed email [email protected]^[1]
to one [email protected]^[2]
while acting as Murtala Rasheed containing format for defrauding
sugar babies by promising to place them on weekly pay of 500 pounds
and sending a cheque of £3,650 and they getting the difference of
£3,150, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed
an offence contrary to section 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and
other fraud-related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section
one of the same act.

They all pleaded not guilty to the separate charges levelled
against them by the anti-graft body.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Andrew Akoja said that “in
view of the plea of the accused persons, we urge the court to give
a date for trial to enable us prove our case. We also pray your
lordship to remand the accused persons in prison custody.”

Responding, defence counsel, S.O Babakebe told the court that
“my Lord, we have approached the complainant about plea bargain
agreement, we urge you to give a short date and remand my clients
in EFCC custody.” Justice Abdulgafar, however, adjourned the case
till 26th of June 2019 for report on plea bargain.

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