A Federal High Court in Ilorin has sentenced 23-year-old Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan to 24 months in prison for cybercrime-related offenses, including cheating and impersonation.
The conviction followed charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after an investigation revealed that Olalekan used fake online identities to defraud foreign victims between August and December 2024.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro, who presided over the case, also ordered the forfeiture of N124 million found in Olalekan’s Wema Bank account, a N30 million white Mercedes Benz ML350, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max used in the crime. The convict impersonated various foreign nationals, including one “Joshua Compbell Novak,” and successfully defrauded individuals like Allisa Motazedi and Brittany Boggess of $100,000 and $1,000 respectively.
The EFCC presented critical evidence, including bank records, car documents, the mobile device, and confessional statements. The court sentenced Olalekan to 12 months for each of the two counts, to run consecutively. The case stemmed from a report filed by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), prompting the EFCC to launch an investigation that led to Olalekan’s arrest and prosecution.
