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The Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan has sentenced two serial internet fraudsters popularly called “yahoo boys” to prison.
The fraudsters got reduced jail terms after separately entering a plea bargain with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While Paul Damilola Olowoparija got six months in prison, Olaleye David Tobi got four months. Their prison terms take effect from January 31, 2019 when they were arrested by EFCC operatives.
The plea bargain led to the amendment of the charges against them to one.
EFCC prosecutors, Messrs Oyelakin Oyediran and Abdul-Rasheed Lanre Sulaiman, in the case against Olaleye and Olowoparija respectively had prayed the court to sentence the defendants in line with the terms and content of the plea bargain they agreed to individually.
The charge preferred against Olowoparija reads: “That you Paul Damilola Olowoparija sometimes in August, 2017 in Ibadan with the jurisdiction of this Honorable court fraudulently impersonated, by representing yourself to be Perry, a white male via your email sent to one Crystal through your email address [email protected] and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22 (2) and punishable under Section 22(b)(iv) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act 2015” .
For Olaleye, the one count charge reads: “That you Olaleye David Tobi sometime in January 2019 in Ibadan, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court fraudulently impersonated by representing yourself to be Anita Brown, a white Female via your mail sent to one Mathew Brown through your email address [email protected] and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(iv) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc)Act, 2015.