SAN FRANCISCO, January 25, (THEWILL) – Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja, has convicted and sentenced a Nigerian undergraduate of Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan University, Malaysia, Hope Olusegun Aroke, to 24 years imprisonment for his involvement in an internet scam that fetched him 4,000 Malaysian riaait (N25m).
Aroke, 25, was arraigned before Justice Okunnu on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence; cheque cloning, wire transfer and forgery.
The court found him guilty of the two charges and he was subsequently sentenced to 12 years imprisonment on each of the two counts, running concurrently.
Aroke’s woe began when an anonymous petitioner wrote to the EFCC alleging that the Kogi State-born undergraduate was involved in sundry fraudulent activities on the internet.
The EFCC swung into action and investigated the internet dealings of Aroke which revealed that he was involved in several romance scams that fetched him a total sum of 4,000 Malaysian riaait.
Aroke admitted sending the money to Nigeria through one Angela, who later helped him changed it into its naira equivalent, N25 million, in a new generation bank.
Upon his arrest, two exotic cars valued at N23 million were recovered from him.
Meanwhile, Aroke still has two other matters, pending, before Justice B. Idris of the Federal High Court Lagos.
Story by David Oputah
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