EFCC Arraigns 11 OAU Students for Alleged Internet Fraud

In a recent legal development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibadan Zonal Command arraigned eleven Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) students before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State.

The EFCC has charged these students with several counts of their involvement in cyber fraud.

The accused faced a variety of charges, ranging from one to six, according to the EFCC. The accused individuals include Perekebena Olombeni Micah, Nnekwelugo Nnaemeka, Moyosore Favour Oluwasakin, Aghwaritoma Wisdom Obaro, Daniel Olashile Maiye, Gbolahan Khalid Adesina, Yinka Temitope Jayeola, Olumuyiwa Emmanuel Adeleye, Abiola Emmanuel Oluwadare, Busari Abdulazeez Ayodeji, and Okesipe Tobiloba Paul.

Nine of the suspects were charged with a single count, while Micah and Obaro were charged with six counts each. One of the counts against the defendants alleges that Perekebena Olombeni Micah “fraudulently impersonated the name – Pies through your Whatsapp account phone number +1(414)367-9473 by claiming that you are an American Female in love with your victims in the United States of America with intent to gain advantage for yourself.” This is a breach of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015.

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Another count against Aghwaritoma Wisdom Obaro states that he “fraudulently impersonated by representing yourself to be a white man named Alex Stephens from the United States of America.” This impersonation was done with the goal of gaining an advantage, which is also a violation of the Cyber Crimes Act. During the arraignment, all of the defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges that were brought against them. Following this, prosecuting attorney Oluwatoyin Owodunni requested trial dates and the defendants’ custody at a Correctional Centre.

In response, the attorneys for Ayodeji, Adesina, Oluwasakin, Micah, Adeleye, and Okesipe stated that they had submitted motions for bail on their clients’ behalf, which had been served on the prosecution. As a result, they asked the court to grant bail to the six accused on the most lenient terms possible.

Justice Ayodeji, Adesina, Oluwasakin, Adeleye, Okesipe, and Micah were granted bail by Ayo-Emmanuel. Ayodeji, Adesina, Oluwasakin, Adeleye, and Okesipe were each granted bail in the amount of N2,000,000 (Two Million Naira), while Micah was granted bail in the amount of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira).

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Each defendant is required to provide two sureties under the bail terms. The defendant’s father must be the first surety, while the second surety can be a relative, sibling, priest, or Osun State Government government official. The sureties must give a financial affidavit, and the court registrar must verify their residential and office addresses, as well as their statuses. The court set the dates for the trial to begin on November 29 and December 12, 2023. Meanwhile, the suspects were remanded at the Ilesha Correctional Centre in Osun State till their bail terms were met.

These students were among the 69 alleged online fraudsters apprehended on November 1, 2023, in Ile-Ife, Osun State, in the Oduduwa Estate neighborhood. The arrests were made in response to actionable intelligence about their alleged involvement in fraudulent internet-related operations.