Court Jails Man Six Months for Internet Fraud in Lagos
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, secured the conviction and sentence of one Lawal Oluwadamilare Samuel before Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
He was jailed after being arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrime.
The charge reads: “That you, Lawal Oluwadamilare Samuel (a.k.a Sandra Brooks), sometime in 2022 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and with intent to defraud over the internet, wherein you represented and held out yourself on Google as "Sandra Brooks, a white female from Virginia, USA, to one Keith with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc.) Act, 2015.”
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge preferred against him.
Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel A.A. Usman called on Muhammad Al-mustapha Bello, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.
Al-Mustapha Bello stated that Samuel was arrested on May 16, 2025 at his hideout in the Command, Ipaja area of Lagos State by operatives of the Commission during a raid, following intelligence received by the Commission.
He also stated that the suspect created a fake Facebook account with a female profile and represented himself as Sandra Brooks, a female from Virginia, United States of America to one Keith based in Illinois , USA, and that in that assumed character fraudulently obtained the total sum of $700 (Seven Hundred Dollars) from the unsuspecting victim.
He said: “During the investigation, one Samsung Galaxy S9, one HP laptop, one Samsung tab and a Mercedes Benz C300 2008 car were recovered from him.
“He restituted the sum of N500( Five Hundred Thousand Naira) via Zenith Bank.”
Usman, thereafter, sought to tender, in evidence, the defendant’s extrajudicial statements, the Samsung Galaxy S9, HP laptop, Samsung tab and forensic investigation documents print out, which were all admitted as exhibits.
The defence counsel, Kehinde Sanni- Mutoshi, prayed the court to “temper justice with mercy,” adding that “he is a first-time offender, and he is very remorseful.”
Justice Dipeolu, thereafter, convicted and sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N3,000,000.00 (Three Million Naira ).
Justice Dipeolu also ordered that the Samsung Galaxy S9, HP laptop, Samsung tab, Mercedes Benz C300 2008 model and N500,000.00 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The convict’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested for internet-related crimes. He was charged to court and jailed.
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