Kaduna court sentence man to jail for internet fraud

A Kwara State High Court located in Ilorin has handed down a sentence of one year in prison to 23-year-old Odeyemi Oluwaseun. He was found guilty of engaging in internet fraud and obtaining money through false pretenses. The case was brought against him by the Ilorin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, commonly known as EFCC, which prosecuted him on two specific counts related to fraud and impersonation.

The charges against Oluwaseun indicate that he deceived individuals by impersonating a female spiritualist. He used the alias “Lord Hill” and created an Instagram account under the name “_Visions_by_Tendo_12.” Through this deceptive persona, he managed to unlawfully convince two victims to send him gift cards totaling the amount of $7,700. In exchange for these cards, he falsely claimed he could provide spiritual services that would help restore their troubled romantic relationships.

One of the counts explained how he successfully persuaded a victim named Bose to send him gift cards worth $3,200. He made the false claim that he had the ability to “diabolically influence” her ex-husband to come back to her. In a similar manner, another victim named Schneider Alina fell for his scheme and sent him $4,500 based on the same misleading promise of assistance.

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Oluwaseun ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges against him. As a result of his confession, the prosecution was able to present various pieces of evidence in court. This evidence included his own confessional statements, a sum of $1,000 in cash, an iPhone 15, and a 2008 Toyota Camry that had been recovered from him during the investigation.

The judge presiding over the case, Justice Abdulgafar, decided to sentence Oluwaseun to six months of suspended imprisonment for each of the two counts of fraud and impersonation. Furthermore, he ordered that the assets seized from Oluwaseun be forfeited to the federal government.

This case highlights how the convict, who is originally from Oyo State, used fake online profiles to prey on individuals who were emotionally vulnerable. By presenting himself falsely as a spiritualist capable of solving their personal problems, he exploited their trust and desperation for his own gain.