The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, secured the conviction and sentence of four internet fraudsters before Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The convicts, Martins Emmanuel, Abeeb Olamide Asiru, Iremide Owolabi and Quadri Abdulrasheed Adio, were arrested on August 29, 2025 in a sting operation at Mambillah Hotel, Ikorodu, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of a syndicate of suspected internet fraudsters operating at the hotel.
They were subsequently arraigned on one-count separate charges bordering on fraudulent impersonation and internet related crimes.
One of the charges read “That you, ABEEB OLAMIDE ASIRU (a.k.a Dolly Parton), on or about 29th August, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one ‘Dolly Parton’ by holding yourself out as such on your Facebook account with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.”
Another charge read “That you, MARTINS EMMANUEL, sometime on the 29m of August, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, directly made a false statement wherein you held yourself out as a white woman by name “ROSE HEATHERS56” on your Tiktok account knowing same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instrument to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition. Prevention etc) Act, 2015.”
They each pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them.
In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, reviewed the facts of the case through the investigating officers, Ibrahim Bukar, Samson Aguma and Ruth Odang.
Kofarnaisa, thereafter, tendered the defendants’ statements and mobile devices recovered from them.
She also urged the court to convict them as charged.
Justice Dipeolu, consequently, convicted and sentenced Emmanuel to three months imprisonment, with the option of a fine of N600,000.00 (Six Hundred Thousand Naira).
The Judge also convicted and sentenced Asiru to six months imprisonment, with the option of a fine of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira).
Both Owolabi and Adio were each sentenced to three months imprisonment, with the option of a fine of N800,000.00 (Eight Hundred Thousand Naira).
Their mobile devices were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
