A Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday convicted and sentenced an internet fraudster, Oluwafemi Ogunleye, to three month imprisonment following a plea bargain agreement to refund part of the Interswitch Ltd’s stolen funds to the tune of N3 billion.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who entered the ruling in terms of the plea bargain, however, ordered the convict to be put in custody for three months beginning from Feb. 5.
Justice Ekwo also directed that Ogunleye shall not be released from custody after the period until the payment of N1 million.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that item eight of the amended plea bargain agreement entered by the convict and the police gave Ogunleye an option of fine not exceeding N1 million after a sentence which would not be more than one year.
In the amended plea bargain agreement dated and filed on Feb. 2, the convict agreed to opt for a guilty plea to the two-count charge and forfeit to Interswitch Ltd a Toyota Corolla 2014 Model with Reg No. BWR969BH and about N1, 745, 349, 105. 34 credit balance domiciled in some banks which include Keystone Bank, FCMB, GTBank, Zenith Bank, First Bank, Globus Bank and ECO bank.
Ogunleye equally agreed to forfeit to Interswitch Ltd all property acquired with the proceeds of the crime including a two number of shops located in Kuje Shopping Complex.
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Others are a fully detached duplex with boys' quarters and pool located at km.20 Lekki/Epe Expressway, Ikota Village, Eti-osa LGA, Lagos (particularly known as unit 3 Premium Garden City Phase 2, Farmvilla Estate, along Chevron Alternative Route, Ikota Village, Eti-Osa LGA in Lagos).
Besides, he agreed to forfeit any other property or asset acquired with the proceeds of the crimes, subsequently discovered by investigation even after the plea bargain.
NAN reports that in count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/596/2023 filed on Dec. 22, 2023, Ogunleye was alleged to have sometimes in June 2023 in Abuja with intent to defraud, used access devices to obtain about the sum of N3,033,499,582.00 from the Interswitch Limited Platform.
He was alleged to have done this through his Globus Bank Account Number: 1000207213; First Bank with Account Number: 3196979455; Keystone Bank Account Numbers: 1013112045 & 6035564094; UBA Bank with Account Number: 2022405274; PAGA TECH Account Number: 2843063099 and Zenith Bank Account Number: 2380598887.
Other banks used include Vale Finance Ltd Account Number: 2000328734; Good News Micro Finance Bank Account Number: 0111093378; FCMB Bank with Account Number: 2741586015; Branch International Financial Services Ltd Account Numbers: 3214072289.
The offence contravened the provisions of Section 33(1) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015.
