By Christopher Oji
Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday,convicted and sentenced one Solomon Stephen Ufayo, a staff of a new generation bank to one-year imprisonment for cybercrime.
The convict was arraigned on Friday, May 16, 2025,by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), on a one -count charge bordering on cybercrime to the tune of N2,404,000.
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The charge reads:“That you, Solomon Stephen Ufayo, between the 10th to the 28th day of March, 2025, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while working for a bank as a Relief Teller, fraudulently represented yourself as Ogunfodunrin Omowunmi Ajoke, by posting false Deposit and Withdrawal Tellers on her bank account number 2801086259 with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention etc)Act, 2015 and punishable by Section 22(2)(b) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.
Following his guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, Abdulhamid L.Tukur, called on David Ngale Gajere, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.
Gajere, in his review of the fact, told the court that Ufayo, who is a Relief Teller with the Bank, fraudulently represented himself as one Miss. Omowunmi Ajoke, a customer of the Bank, by posting false deposits into her account and moving the total sum of N2,404,000, which he filled out in withdrawal deposit slips without her consent and paid the same into his own Opay account.
He had further informed the court that the defendant provided an extra-judicial statement and also issued a bank draft for N2,404,000 as restitution to the petitioner.
At the resumed sitting yesterday, the defendant prayed the court for leniency, stating that he was tempted to perpetrate the fraud because his wife was pregnant and that he needed money.
“I was still in custody when my wife delivered the baby. I have learnt my mistakes now”, he further pleaded with the court.
Justice Bogoro consequently convicted and sentenced him to one year imprisonment, with an option of fine in the sum of N500,00 .
The convict was also ordered to serve a two-week community service.
The convict bagged his imprisonment when, as a Relief Teller with the Bank , he fraudulently represented himself as one Miss. Omowunmi Ajoke, a customer of the Bank, by posting false deposits into her account and moving the total sum of N2, 404,000, which he filled out in withdrawal deposit slips without her consent and paid the same into his own Opay account.
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