Kemisola Oye
FOR engaging in fraudulent activities in which he presented himself as an investor in cryptocurrency, a Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a 25-year-old man, Marvelous Babatunde Shittu to one year imprisonment.
The trial judge, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe yesterday (Wednesday 18 October) sentenced Marvelous Shittu to a year jail term after he pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of possession of fraudulent documents brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
At the resumed hearing of the suit, EFCC counsel, Mr A. Gambuwa urged the court to take the plea of the defendant.
On the count charge being read to him in open court, he pleaded guilty to the charge.
While reviewing the facts of the case, Gambuwa said the convict was arrested by the Commission following an intelligence report and he gave a voluntary statement after being interviewed and admitted to having benefited from the sum of $5,000.
“We also recovered an iPhone 12 Pro Max and a MacBook laptop from him.
“He claimed to be an investor in cryptocurrency, thereby misinforming the public”. Gambuwa therefore prayed the court to convict the defendant as charged.
He was thereafter convicted.
The convict told the court, “I am really sorry, I have realised my mistake, and I am ready to live a better life and become a better me.”
His counsel, Ms B. Opeyemi, in her allocutus, stated that the defendant was genuinely sorry and remorseful. She noted that he was indeed very sorry for his actions and that he had promised to exhibit good behaviour, and urged the court to temper justice with mercy. She also pleaded that he was a first-time offender and promised to exhibit good behaviour and make restitution.
“Upon the defendant’s guilty plea and admission of the facts, he is hereby convicted of the one-count charge of possession of fraudulent documents, contrary to Section 320 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
“You are hereby sentenced to one-year imprisonment with an option fine of N500,000 and 40 hours of community service. The defendant is also to forfeit his iPhone 12 Pro Max and a MacBook computer recovered as proceeds of the fraudulent acts to the Federal Government of Nigeria“, the court ruled.
Eighteen-Eleven Media