FBI Suspect
FBI Suspect Jailed for Internet Fraud
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos State Special Offences
Court, Ikeja has convicted and sentenced Abiona Akinyemi Festus to
two years imprisonment for internet fraud.
The convict who was prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count
charge of internet fraud was on wanted list of the Federal Bureau
of Investigations of the United States Department of Justice.
The FBI, in a petition dated July 10, 2019 had appealed to
the Ilorin zonal office of the Commission to ensure Festus’ arrest
and prosecution, for his roles in multi-million naira
international scam.
One of the charges read, “That you Abiona Akinyemi Festus (Ella
Jones), sometime between January 2011- May 2016 at Lagos within the
jurisdiction of this honourable court by means of fraudulent trick
used the email address [email protected][1] to bypass online
security and obtained the sum of N5, 950, 000 (Five Million,
Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), only from retirement
accounts, held by an insurance company for public workers in the
United States of America.”
Festus pleaded guilty to the charges, upon which the Head of
Advance Fee Fraud, EFCC, Ilorin zonal office, Olamide
Sadiq, reviewed the facts of the case, which included that
defendant was arrested based on a petition from the FBI linking him
to the offence.
Justice Taiwo convicted him as charged and sentenced him to one
year imprisonment on each of the two counts with a N300, 000 option
of fine on each of the counts.
The judge also ordered him to return the sums of money he
cornered to the FBI.
Dele Oyewale,
Head, Media & Publicity
18/8/2020