By Omowumi Omotosho
A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin has handed a two-year prison sentence to 23-year-old Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, internet fraudster popularly known as “Yahoo-Yahoo”, with no option of a fine.
The conviction was delivered by Justice Abimbola Awogboro on Wednesday, following Adebisi’s admission of guilt to a two-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin Zonal Command. The charges included cyber-related offences such as online impersonation and defrauding unsuspecting individuals.
Adebisi, who hails from Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was found to have impersonated multiple foreign nationals, among them one Joshua Compbell Novak, using fraudulent Gmail and TextPlus accounts. Between August and December 2024, he scammed several victims, including Allisa Motazedi and Brittany Boggess, of $100,000 and $1,000, respectively.
In addition to the jail term, the court ordered the forfeiture of N124.4 million traced to his Wema Bank account, a white Mercedes-Benz ML350 valued at N30 million, and an iPhone 14 Pro Max used in the fraudulent activities.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Adebisi Emmanuel Olalekan, between August 2024 and December 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Joshua Compbell Novak via your Gmail account and TextPlus number with the intent to obtain a total sum of $100,000 from Allisa Motazedi, which you did obtain, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2)(b)(IV) of the same Act.”
Adebisi pleaded guilty to both charges leveled against him.
Following his plea, EFCC prosecutor Sesan Ola presented evidence through investigator Paul Aniebonam, who detailed how Olalekan had set up fraudulent online identities to scam unsuspecting foreigners.
Aniebonam told the court that the illegal proceeds were used to purchase a luxury car in October 2024. He added that over N124 million found in Adebisi’s bank account was linked to similar cybercrime schemes.
The prosecution submitted critical items as evidence, including bank records, vehicle registration documents, a mobile phone, and four written confessions made by the defendant.
Justice Awogboro handed Adebisi a 12-month jail term for each of the two charges, to be served consecutively. The judge also ordered that all identified assets be permanently forfeited to the Nigerian government.
The matter was first brought to light following a tip-off from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which alerted the EFCC to Adebisi’s involvement in online fraud.
