Court convicts Yahoo Boy to sweep GRA in Kwara

The Kwara State High Court presided over by Justice Sikiru Oyinloye, has on Thursday, July 9, 2020, convicted a 25-year-old Victor Salawu to pay a fine of N50,000 and proceed to sweep the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Ilorin, for his involvement in cyber fraud popularly known as YahooYahoo.

Salawu was arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ilorin zonal office on a one-count charge of cyber fraud.

The charge read in part

“That you, Victor Salawu, alias James Chris, sometimes in February 2019, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, did attempt to cheat by impersonation, by portraying yourself as a white male named James Chris, via your email address, [email protected], to one Seth B. to induce him to send you money, a representation you knew to be false.”

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According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Salawu’s offense is punishable under section 324 of the penal code and irreconcilable to Section 95 of the penal code, laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The prosecuting counsel, Andrew Akoja, at the resume of the hearing on Thursday informed the court about a charge dated June 18, 2020, and interceded that it should be accepted and permitted for convict hearing.

The culprit however pleaded guilty to the charge. And Justice Oyinloye while delivering his judgment pointed out that the defendant has failed to deny the allegation leveled against him, and has also offered no explanations to disclaim the charge.

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Hence the honorable court holds that the defendant’s guilty plea and the oral testimony of the sole prosecution witness, one Umeh Kennedy, were not challenged nor contradicted during the proceedings, said Oyinloye.

However, the Judge declared the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and pronounced Victor Salawu convicted as charged.