‘Undergraduate’ Arraigned For Internet Fraud In Osogbo

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office, on Wednesday  prosecuted one Ebenezer Tobiloba Okunlola on a three-count charge bordering on false pretence, impersonation, possession of scam documents and obtaining money by false pretense.

Okunlola, who claimed to be a 300 level student of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), was arraigned before Justice Peter Odo Lifu of the Federal High Court 2, sitting in Osogbo, Osun State.

One of the charges reads: “That you Okunlola Tobiloba Ebenezer, “M” (a.k.a Ryan Antley) sometime in 2019, in Osogbo, Osun State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained lTunes gift cards worth of $750 (Seven hundred and fifty United States of American Dollars) from one Kimmy Antley an American citizen when you falsely represented yourself that you are a white man with the name Ryan Dudely the pretext you knew to be false.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to him.

In view of his not-guilty plea, Prosecution Counsel Murtala Usman prayed the court for a trial date and an order to remand the accused in the correctional custody.

But the Defense Counsel, M. O Ademola, made an oral bail application, praying the court to admit his client to bail pending the determination  of  the charges filed against him.

The presiding judge granted the prayer as he granted him bail in the sum of N10 million and one surety in like sum.

The surety, the judge held, must be a civil servant, a land owner residing within the jurisdiction of the court and must be related by blood to the defendant.

He also ordered that the accused be remanded in the Nigeria correctional service’s custody pending the time he meets his bail condition.

The matter has been adjourned to February 6, 2020.