$12m Fraud: Yahoo Boy, Lukman Ibrahim Convicted for Cybercrime

Justice Olubusola Okunuga of a Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja, has sentenced a fraudster, Lukman Ibrahim to one-year imprisonment for engaging in $12m internet fraud, (Cybercrime).

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arraigned the convict with a one-count amended charge that bordered on possession of fraudulent documents, contrary to Section 320 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

The amended information reads: “LUKMAN BOLAJI IBRAHIM on or about 17th day of April 2023 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud had in your possession several fraudulent documents, one of which is a record of your conversation with the fellow member of your syndicate showing how you fraudulently harvest the personal information of unsuspecting victims and sell for an agreed sum.”

He pleaded “guilty” to the charge.

Following his guilty plea, the counsel representing the EFCC, Alabi Abdulrasheed, told the court that the amended one-count charge was according to the fact that the defendant approached the court for a plea bargain considering the weighty evidence that the prosecution had gathered against him.

He thereafter adopted the prosecution’s review of facts filed before the court and informed the court that the defendant was one of the suspects arrested by the EFCC around Osapa London, Lekki in April 2023.

“They were arrested following actionable intelligence of the activities of some people engaging in computer-related fraud, who are living a lavish lifestyle without verifiable means of livelihood,” he said.

According to him, upon his arrest, an iPhone 12, iPhone X, MacBook Air laptop, and Lexus RX 350 were recovered from him, which were purchased through the proceeds of his illegal online activities.

“Under interrogation, he confessed to his involvement in cybercrime, and admitted to having benefitted $12, 000,” he said.

He thereafter, tendered in evidence two statements made by the defendant on April 15 and 17, 2023, the items recovered from him alongside the vehicle documents of the Lexus RX 350, and the fraudulent documents printed out from his device.

There was no objection from the counsel for the defendant, I.S. John.

The court thereafter admitted them as exhibits against the defendant.

“We pray the court to convict the victim as charged and to order the forfeiture to the Federal Government of the items recovered from him,” Abdulrasheed said.

Thereafter, Justice Okunuga, declared the defendant guilty as charged.

He was sentenced to one year in prison. However, due to the allocutus of the defence counsel, who pleaded with the court to consider the timeous plea of the defendant who did not waste the time of the court and who is a first-time offender, the court gave him an option of a fine of N1 million.

Items recovered from him were also ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government and he was ordered to sign an undertaking with the EFCC never to be involved in any economic and financial crimes within and outside of the shores of Nigeria.