A 37-year-old internet fraudster, Akintunde Abiodun, was on Friday sentenced to six years in jail after the Lagos high Court sitting in Ikeja convicted him of forgery and stealing.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on January 23 arraigned Mr. Abiodun, a.k.a. Christopher Williams, before the court presided by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye on an amended 12-count charge of stealing and forgery to the tune of seven million, eight hundred and six thousand, and ninety-three naira.
Mr. Abiodun’s walk to jail began after he presented himself as Christopher Williams to his victim, D. Bonni, whom he met on a dating site on the Internet. The convict had told Mr. Bonni that he inherited gemstones worth $18, 050,000 from his late father in the United Kingdom.
He also forged an American passport with which he convinced his victim of his purported nationality.
Consequently, the convict received various sums of money at different times from the victim.
When he was arraigned, Mr. Abiodun pleaded not guilty to the charges, thereby setting the stage for his trial. The prosecution counsel, Ola Sesan, tendered several documents that were admitted in evidence and presented witnesses who testified against the accused.
In view of this, the convict later filed an application for plea bargaining before the court.
Delivering his judgment Friday, Justice Ipaye found the convict guilty and jailed three years each on counts 1 to 11 of stealing. The convict was also found guilty and jailed three years on count 12 of forgery. The sentences are to run separately from the date of arraignment meaning the convict will spend six years in jail.
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