US Lottery Agent, Graphics Designer Land In Prison Over Fraud

Salami Yusuf Adetola, a citizen who pretended to be a lottery agent in the United States, was sentenced to six months in prison for impersonation and cybercrime.

On Tuesday, Adetola was found guilty by Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

He was convicted with AbdulKareem Abdulmojeed Olamilekan, a graphic designer from Kwara State’s Ifelodun Local Government Area, and Nwabudike Emmanuel Lawrence from Delta State’s Ethiope-East Local Government Area for a similar offense.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the trio on separate charges. They all pleaded guilty.

EFCC counsel, R. A. Alao called witnesses (detectives) who tendered evidence, including fraudulent messages and the devices used to perpetrate the crime.

Justice Akinpelu held that the prosecution proved its cases beyond reasonable doubt.

Adetola was sentenced to six months in prison with N200,000 fine; Olamilekan was sentenced to one year imprisonment with N300,000 fine.

Lawrence bagged a prison term of six months on each of the two counts with an option of N200,000 fine.

The convicts will lose phones and laptops used for the offences to the federal government and must refund their victims.