A first year student of the University of Ibadan has been sentenced to 8 years imprisonment for charges of advance fee fraud by a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu.
Justice L. Mohamed Shaiubu sentenced Daramola Olawale on a four count charge.
Daramola had pleaded not guilty in May 2012 during his first arraignment, but later changed his plea to guilty after a plea bargain was struck.
Each of the count carried 2 years imprisonment. The sentences will run concurrently from the first day he was arraigned.
The four count charge for advance fee fraud were brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in a Charge No: FHC/ENCR/41/10.
The count charge reads in part: “that you Daramola Olawale on or about the 12th day of May, 2012 at Enugu within the jurisdiction of the FHC of Nigeria with intent to defraud, had in your possession (e-mail) pmaxwelln43@yahoo.com a scam document titled Re: “These are the pictures and the mileage” which was addressed to Rev. Jeffrey Ramsey and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 6 of the advance fee fraud and other fraud related offences Acts 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same act”.
“That you Daramola Olawale on or about the 12th day of May, 2012 at Enugu within the jurisdiction of the FHC of Nigeria with intent to defraud, attempted to obtain the sum of N200,000 from one Rev. Jeffrey Ramsey when you purportedly represented yourself as a custom agent and that you have cars for sale, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1), (b) of the advance fee fraud and other fraud related offences Acts 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same act”.
In its judgement, the court held that: “the accused having changed his plea from not guilty to guilty and based on the exhibit tendered by prosecution plea of leniency by A. Salau accused counsel, it is hereby ordered as follows; the convict is hereby sentenced to two years imprisonment on each of the four counts. “The sentence to run concurrently with effect from the 12th May, 2012 when accused was first arrested and detained.
“The recovered monetary exhibit to be returned to the nominal complaint issued at Enugu under the seal of the court and the hand of the presiding judge”. Responding, EFCC prosecuting counsels; K. C Chukwu and M.A Eneh thanked the court for the judgement.
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