A fraudster, Soladoye Taofeek, was on Friday, November 1, 2019 sentenced to six months in prison for falsely representing himself to be an auto dealer in order to dispossess people of their hard-earning money.
Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan pronounced Taofeek guilty of cheating in a one-count amended charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office.
The charge reads: That you, Soladoye Taofeek, in the year 2017 at Ibadan, Oyo State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court by means of fraudulent tricks that you are into auto buying and selling, obtained various sums of money from your victims (Jane and John Doe) and thereby committed an offence.
The offence, according to the charge sheet, is contrary to Section 421 of the Criminal Code Law CAP 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
When read to him, Taofeek pleaded guilty to the charge.
His ‘guilty’ plea was in tandem with the terms of a plea bargain arrangement initiated by his lawyer and agreed to by the two parties.
After taking the plea, EFCC prosecution counsel, Ifeanyi Agwu, had urged the court to convict him accordingly.
Besides serving a six months jail term, the fraudster was also ordered to restitute a sum of $3,000 USD (Three Thousand United States Dollars) to his victims.
He will equally forfeit to the Federal Government of Nigeria one IPhone X and one Silver Hp Laptop.