EFCC re-arraigns UNILORIN student on amended internet fraud charges
EFCC re-arraigns UNILORIN student on amended internet fraud charges
The Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday re-arraigned a University of Ilorin undergraduate student, Itanola Abdulsamad, on amended internet fraud charges.
Tuesday’s re-arraignment followed the amendment of the old charges against him.
The defendant’s counsel, Adewale Olatunde, informed the court of his client’s decision to change his earlier plea.
He said, “My Lord, my client has informed me that he wants to change his plea from ‘guilty’ to ‘not guilty’. I humbly urge your lordship to allow the charge be read to the defendant for him to change his plea.”
Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin granted the prayer of the defence counsel, which saw the defendant switch to a “not guilty” plea to the amended four-count charges.
Count two of the amended charge read: “That you, Itanola Abdulsamad, Popoola Afolami (at large) and Olayeni Yemi (at large) sometime between 2018 and 2019, at Ilorin within the judicial division of the Kwara State High Court, fraudulently induced several unsuspecting foreigners vide the internet to deliver to you digital currency from which you benefited $950 (Nine Hundred and Fifty United States Dollars) and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 324 of the same Penal Code.”
The suspect had, upon arraignment on Friday, October 2, 2020, pleaded guilty to 10-count charges of internet fraud but switch to “not guilty” on his re-arraignment on amended four-count charge, prompting the judge to adjourn the matter to October, 29, 2020 for fresh trail.
