Court remands three alleged internet fraudsters in EFCC custody

A Kwara state High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital on Monday remanded three suspected internet fraudsters in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Ilorin Zonal office of the EFCC had arraigned the three persons on alleged offences bordering on internet fraud before Justice M. Abdulgafar.

The suspects are Akeem Mustapha, Murtala Rasheed and Abolarin Samuel Sunday.

The charge preferred against the alleged fraudsters reads: “That you, Murtala Rasheed ( Alias; Oluwakayode Adebayo) sometimes in February 2019, at Ilorin, within the judicial division of the High Court, with the intent to defraud, had in your possession a document containing false pretence, to with; mail tagged sugar baby from which you sent on Thursday, February 8, 2018 from your acclaimed email talkatfolarin@gmail.com to one jdon2401@gmail.com while acting as Murtala Rasheed containing format for defrauding sugar babies by promising to place them on weekly pay of 500 pounds and sending a cheque of £3,650 and they getting the difference of £3,150, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud-related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section one of the same act.

They all pleaded not guilty to the separate charges levelled against them by the anti-graft body.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel, Andrew Akoja said that “in view of the plea of the accused persons, we urge the court to give a date for trial to enable us prove our case. We also pray your lordship to remand the accused persons in prison custody.”

Responding, defence counsel, S.O Babakebe told the court that “my Lord, we have approached the complainant about plea bargain agreement, we urge you to give a short date and remand my clients in EFCC custody.” Justice Abdulgafar, however, adjourned the case till 26th of June 2019 for report on plea bargain.