4 Bag Jail Terms for Internet Fraud in Lagos 

No fewer than four individuals have been convicted and sentenced to various jail terms for internet fraud in Lagos.

This follows the successful prosecution by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which secured their conviction before Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.

According to the EFCC, 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 on the activities of a syndicate of suspected internet fraudsters operating at the hotel.

They were subsequently arraigned on separate one-count charges bordering on fraudulent impersonation and internet-related crimes.

One of the charges reads: “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 reads: “That you, MARTINS EMMANUEL, sometime on the 29th 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 all pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, and in view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, reviewed the facts of the case through the investigating officers, Ibrahim Bukar, Samson Aguma, and Ruth Odang.

Kofarnaisa tendered the defendants’ statements and mobile devices recovered from them, urging the court to convict them as charged.

Consequently, Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced Emmanuel to three months’ imprisonment, with the option of a fine of ₦600,000.

The Judge also convicted and sentenced Asiru to six months’ imprisonment, with the option of a fine of ₦2,000,000.

However, the duo of Owolabi and Adio were each sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, with the option of a fine of ₦800,000.

The Commission disclosed that their mobile devices were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government, reiterating that they were all arrested for internet-related fraud, charged to court, and convicted.

ThelensNG