The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, secured the conviction of a 29 year-old farmer, Yusuf Abiodun Babatunde from Osi, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State and three others over offences bordering on impersonation and retention of proceeds of crime.
The three other convicts are Abdulrahman Mudashir Aileru from Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State; one Uthman Busari from Oyo State and Adewole Iyanuoluwa from Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Justice Mohammed Sani of the Federal High Court in Ilorin, convicted and sentenced the defendants to various jail terms upon their ‘guilty plea’ to the separate charges brought against them by the EFCC.
Sesan Ola, Andrew Akoja and Rasheedat Alao who prosecuted the cases on behalf of the Commission reviewed the facts of the cases.
The counsel tendered exhibits recovered from the defendants at the point of arrest, which were admitted in evidence.
The items included phones, laptops, a car and the extra-judicial statements of the defendants.
They urged the court to convict the defendants based on their admittance of guilt and the uncontroverted evidence tendered before it.
Justice Sani in his judgement agreed that the prosecution had proved the cases beyond reasonable doubt and pronounced the defendants guilty as charged.
The Judge sentenced Yusuf to three years imprisonment with option of fine of N1,578,000.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of one 2007 Toyota Camry Car, iphone Xr and hp laptop recovered from the convict at the point of arrest to the Federal Government.
Similarly, Justice Sani sentenced Abdulrahman to one year imprisonment with option of N200,000.
The judge ordered that one Iphone 13, one laptop which the convict used to perpetrate the crime and a parcel of land which he bought with the proceeds of unlawful activities be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In the case of Uthman, the court pronounced a prison term of one year on count 1 with option of fine of N1,182,633, and one year imprisonment on count 2 with option of N100,000.
The convict is also to forfeit the iphone 12 which he used to perpetrate the crime and the sum of $40 (Forty Dollars) which he raised as restitution to the Federal Government.
In the same vein, Justice Sani sentenced Adewole to six months imprisonment each on count 1 and 2 with option of fine of N100,000 on each count.
The judge further ordered the convict to forfeit the iphone 6 which he used as the instrumentality of the crime to the Federal Government.