Court sends lecturer, twin brothers to prison over internet love scam

The Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Thursday convicted a lecturer at the Kwara State College of Health Technology (Health Tech) Offa, Abdullahi Opashola, and twin brothers - Taiye and Kehinde Adebayo, over offences bordering on impersonation and internet fraud.

Justice Adenike Akinpelu presided over the matter which was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

They all pleaded guilty to the charges separately filed against them by the commission.

A statement by Wilson Uwujaren, Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, said that while Opashola was prosecuted on one count, Taiye and Kehinde were found guilty of seven counts each.

Delivering judgment on the two cases yesterday, Justice Akinpelu found Opashola guilty of the charge against him and sentenced him to four months imprisonment.

The 26-year-old lecturer, who is to serve his prison term at the Correctional Service, was however given an option of fine of N150,000.

For Taiye and Kehinde, Justice Akinpelu also pronounced each of them guilty of the charge and sentenced them to 42 months imprisonment each (six months on each of the seven counts) preferred against them, which is to run concurrently.

The judge also gave the twin brothers option of fine of N50,000 on each of the count.

The judge, who ordered that the laptops and phones used by the convicts to commit the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government, said that the sentences would serve as deterrent to others.