Malaysia-based undergraduate bags 24 years imprisonment for scam

By OKOSUN DENNIS

A Nigeria’ undergraduate of  Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University, Malaysia: Hope Olusegun Aroke (25) was on Monday sentenced to 24 years imprisonment for his involvement in an internet scam.

Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja  convicted and sentenced Aroke as he was said to have earned N25,000,000 from the deal.

He was arraigned before Justice Okunnu on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence; cheque cloning, wire transfer and forgery. The court found him guilty of the two charges and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on each of the two counts.

Troubles came for Aroke when an anonymous petitioner wrote to the EFCC alleging that the Kogi state-born undergraduate was involved in sundry fraudulent activities on the internet. The EFCC swung into action and investigated the internet dealings of Aroke.

Investigations showed that he was involved in several romance scam that fetched him a total sum of 4,000 riaait( Malaysian currency). Aroke admitted sending the money to Nigeria through one Angela, who later helped him deposit its naira equivalent, N25, 000,000 in a new generation bank.

It was learnt that upon his arrest, two exotic cars valued at N23,000,000 were recovered from him.

Meanwhile, Justice Okunnu ruled that the sentence should run concurrently. Meanwhile, Aroke has two other matters yet undecided before Justice B. Idris of the Federal High Court Lagos.