Varsity Undergraduate Jailed For Pandemic Benefit Fraud
Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Friday, September 3, 2021 sentenced one Adigun Oladapo Oludele, a final year student of the University of Ilorin, to one year imprisonment for offences bordering on internet fraud.
The court also ordered that the sum of N158,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Eight Thousand Naira) domiciled in the convict’s GTB account that was found to be proceed of unlawful transactions as well as his Lexus IS250 with registration number KJA 141 GU Lagos be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Also forfeited to the Federal Government were the convict’s iPhone 12, iPhone 7, Apple watch and 2 laptops, which were recovered from him at the point of arrest.
Adigun, 25, was prosecuted on two counts by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
He fraudulently obtained the sum of $6,3280.00 (Six Thousand, Three Hundred Twenty Eight United States Dollars) as benefit from the Ohio Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Portal of the United States of America.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Adigun Oladapo Oludele and one Ganiu Samson (at large) sometime between December 2020 and June, 2021 at Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did cheat by personation via the Ohio Pandemic Unemployment Assistance portal, U.S.A for which $6, 328.00 was paid as benefits and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.”
The Defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Andrew Akoja, urged the court to convict the defendant. The defence counsel, T.A Hammed, did not oppose this position.
In his judgment, Justice Oyinloye said, ”This Honourable Court have not seen any reason why the defendant should not be convicted as the prosecution has placed enough materials before the court to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt”.
The judge consequently pronounced Adigun guilty and sentenced him to one year imprisonment with option of fine of N250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira)
