A 25-year-old undergraduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Gbenga Andrew Agbor, who has been defrauding victims from Australia has been convicted in Lagos on Monday.

The final year student upon conviction was sentenced to a one year jail term after he told Justice Olubusola Okunuga of Lagos State High Court, Ikeja of his involvement in the offence.

He pleaded guilty during his re-arraignment as he was involved in stealing the identity of his victims.

He met his waterloo when operatives of the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, received intelligence about the activities of cyber criminals operating around U-Turn Area, Abule Egba, Lagos.

Undergraduate defrauded victims from Australia

According to the EFCC Prosecution Counsel, Kyari U.S, Esq., the convict and many others were arrested on 19th September 2023, but found in his possession were Iphone 6S plus and a blue HP laptop.

Thererafter, Kyari presented the fact of the case before the court.

Undergraduate was involved in online dating

According to him, “During the course of investigation, the defendant was interviewed and he stated that he his into online dating scam and identity theft.”

Meanwhile, he has confessed to the charge before the court filed on an amended information dated January 4, 2024.

The charge of one-count charge bordering on possession of fraudulent document contravenes Section 318 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

It reads, “That you Gbenga Andrew Agbor on or about 19th day of September, 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud had in your possession document titled “Gmail” where you represented yourself as Susan Morse which representations you knew or ought to have known to be false.”

The convict said he normally chat with his victims by representing himself as a white female.

He confessed to have hacked into his victims’ account and take over their identity by phone fraudulently.

The convict also stated that he normally cart phone for other internet fraudsters and that most of his victims are from Australia.

According to the commission, “the defendant uses the following email address mossusan89@ mail.com to defraud his victims.

In the course of investigation, the defendant’s Iphone was analysed and fraudulent documents were printed out from it, he endorsed on each page of the document,” the EFCC submitted.

The defendant confessed that he has benefited some amount of money from the crime and that the IPhone 6S plus and his laptop was purchased with proceeds of crime.

Meanwhile, his lawyer pleaded on his behalf. According to Gbenga Adeboye, “Since he was granted administrative bail, he has been with his mother and has been remorseful. He is a first time offender, he was influenced by peer pressure and has promised not to go back to crime.

“On this ground, I beg the court to temper justice with mercy, please my lord should grant him a non custodial sentence or an option of fine.”

Jailed for one year

However, the judge sentenced him to one year imprisonment, and ordered him to pay fine in the sum of N500,000, to the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria.