Lagos Court Imprisons Online Scammer

Victor Adedeji Oniyiku was found guilty of internet fraud and sentenced to prison by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday. The case was heard by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court located in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Oniyiku was found guilty by Justice Aneke of the one-count indictment that the EFCC had brought against him for using a fake internet persona, Hartford Sarah Jane, to commit fraud.

When the prisoner was first arraigned in December 2023, he entered a guilty plea.

The trial judge then postponed the consideration of the facts and ruling until Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
“That you, Victor Adediji Oniyiku, sometime in 2021 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Hartford Sarah Jane by holding yourself out as such on an Illinois driver’s license, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2015,” stated the charge.

After reviewing the evidence, Chinenye Okezie, the prosecution’s attorney, urged the court to find him guilty and impose the appropriate penalty.
After that, Justice Aneke found him guilty and gave him a 12-month prison sentence, along with the possibility of a N500,000 fine and 100 hours of community service.
In addition, the judge mandated that the Federal Government forfeit the gadgets that were taken back from him.

The prisoner’s journey to the Correctional Center started when he was taken into custody for offenses relating to the internet by agents of the EFCC’s Lagos Command.