OAU Professor, 12 Others Bags Jail Terms For Internet Fraud

A sixty-year-old man, Charles Jide-Oni, who claimed to be a professor and lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, was arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State for allegedly obtaining money under false pretence and engaging in advance fee fraud.

The professor was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office alongside 12 others for Internet fraud.

They were arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, the Federal High Court vacation judge for the Southwest zone, on Wednesday, September 4, 2019.

Jide-Oni’s arraignment was sequel to the EFCC’s damning findings about the activities of an illegal financial outfit he floated through which he allegedly swindled his victims of several millions of Naira.

Mouthpiece NG gathered that some of the victims had earlier written a petition to the Commission which led to the investigations that indicted him in the alleged fraudulent act.

The names of the 12 suspects equally arraigned are Olaleye Kolapo, Madukife Ifeanyi Azuka, Fatanmi Yinka Sunday, Adebayo Bolaji Adeyinka, Adeleke Peter and Adebowale Fadairo.

Other includes Oyewunmi Toulope Michael, Bello Ayoade Jalal Arikalam, Owolabi Toheeb Toluope, Abdullahi Abdulazeez Oluwatobi, Temitope Fatolu and Adesina

Fatolu (aka Gold Crumb), however, opted for a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to a one-count amended charge of fraudulent impersonation when he was presented before the court on Wednesday.

He was subsequently sentenced to one year imprisonment with effect from June 20, 2019 when he was arrested.

‘Gold Crumb’ was also to restitue the sum of $500 (Five Hundred United States Dollars), through the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to his victim, and to equally forfeit his iPhone 6, Nokia 103 and Hp Laptop to the Federal government of Nigeria, being part of the benefit he derived from his fraudulent act.