EFCC Arraigns Kwara Lecturer Over Romance Scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday, February 8, 2021, arraigned before Justice Adenike Akinpelu of Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, a lecturer over romance scam.

The suspect who is said to among 32 cybercrime suspects arrested in September 2020 in Offa was accused of using his mail to deceive an unsuspected victim to send him $200 USD.

Chargest against the suspect who is said to be a lecturer of the Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa is reportedly contravened Section 95 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.

Opashola Abdullahi, however, pleaded guilty to charges against him during the court session yesterday, Naija News reports.

The charge reads “That you, Opashola Abdullahi, (alias Devin Snow), sometime in the month of August 2020 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did attempt to cheat by personation, by portraying yourself as a female named Devine Snow via your email address [email protected] to one Eugene Myvett in order to induce him to send you $200 USD, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.”

Proceeding on the case after the suspect had pleaded guilty, counsel to EFCC, Andrew Akoja, led Paul Kera, an operative of EFCC in evidence to review the facts of the case. Kera on his part explained in details how an investigation on a petition received by the Commission on the activities of internet fraudsters operating in Offa area of Kwara State led to the arrest of the defendant.

He said: “Our findings revealed that the defendant created an email address which he was using to defraud unsuspecting victims. During a search executed in his house, we recovered an Infinix Nokia phone which he used as an instrumentality of the crime.

“The defendant was taken to our Office, where he volunteered his statement”, Kera told the court.

Naija News understands that vital documents related to the crime, two computer attestation forms, an Infinix phone were recovered from the defendant as well as the fraudulent messages printed out of his email account were tendered and admitted in evidence. The EFCC counsel, however, urged the court to tender verdict on the suspect base on his plea and evidence placed before it.

The court judge in his ruling, fixed February 23, 2021, for judgment with an order that the defendant remains with the EFCC pending judgment.

Meanwhile, a pastor of the Living Faith Church, aka Winners’ Chapel, Afolabi Samuel, has been jailed for three years’ for stealing $90,000 and N4.5m belonging to the registered trustees of the church.

Naija News reports that Samuel, the church’s treasurer and accountant was arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja on two counts of cons