Lagos, November 15, 2023 — Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced Ganiyu Alabi, a 20-year-old undergraduate, to one year and two months imprisonment following his involvement in an online romance scam. The sentencing took place on Wednesday after Alabi entered a plea bargain agreement on charges related to the possession of fraudulent documents.
Alabi, who will serve his sentence at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, was found guilty of misrepresenting himself as "Leana Decker," a fictitious white woman, in order to defraud unsuspecting victims. The court heard that Alabi admitted to using a fake online persona through Facebook to engage in a dating scam from which he had profited $1,000.
In his ruling, Justice Oshodi acknowledged the negative impact of cybercrime on Nigeria’s global reputation. While he credited the plea bargain for saving judicial resources, he noted that Alabi’s honesty was questionable, pointing out that Alabi had falsely claimed to have started the fraudulent activity this year, while his confession indicated he began in 2023.
“I do not believe you are genuinely sorry because you lied to this court,” Justice Oshodi said. He added that, in addition to the prison term, Alabi could pay a fine of N1 million as an alternative to jail time. Further, the court ordered Alabi to complete two months of community service under the Lagos State Community Service Unit, with a report of his activities required at the end of the period. He will also be registered as an offender within the state.
Earlier, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor, Mr. Ahmad Usman, presented evidence of the scam, including bundles of fraudulent documents, to the court. Usman recounted that Alabi had been apprehended during an EFCC sting operation in April in Lekki, Lagos. The court was informed that Alabi had already restituted N500,000 to the EFCC.
Alabi’s actions were found to be in violation of Section 320 of the Lagos State Criminal Laws (2015).
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