Mother, son jailed three years for Internet fraud

The Federal High Court in Lagos, on Tuesday, sentenced one Mrs Damilola Adeyeri and her son, Alaba, to three years’ imprisonment for defrauding an American of the sum of $82,570.

Justice C. J. Aneke convicted the duo of the four counts bordering on “fraudulent business trick and email compromise” filed against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Damilola and her son had pleaded guilty to the charges at their arraignment on Tuesday.

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Bilikisu Buhari, told the court that the mother and son conspired with one Kareem Russel, who is still at large, to defraud the Chief Executive Officer of American Cranes Manufacturing Company.

Buhari said they committed the offences in June 2017 and were arrested on September 6, 2019.

Damilola and Alaba were said to have carried out the fraud by “dishonestly representing yourselves as the CEO of American Cranes Manufacturing Company, and thereafter, you sent an email from personal@managements-securemail-office-portal.online with the intent to gain an advantage to yourselves.”

The prosecutor told the court that the convicts acted contrary to sections 27 (1) (a) and 23 (3) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015, and were liable to be punished under Section 22(1) of the same Act.

The offences were also said to be contrary to sections 421 and 422 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38.

In his judgment, Justice Aneke said he would temper justice with mercy because the convicts pleaded guilty to the charges immediately, rather than waste the time of the court.

He sentenced them to three years’ imprisonment on each of the four counts but said the sentences would run concurrently.

The judge said, however, that despite the fact that the convicts immediately admitted guilt and showed remorse, he had the duty to administer punishment in accordance with the relevant laws, to serve as a deterrent to others.

“Consequently, I hereby sentence each of the convicts to three years on counts one, two, three and four. The sentences are to run concurrently,” Justice Aneke held.