The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced four men for offences bordering on internet fraud.
The convicts — Martins Emmanuel, Abeeb Olamide Asiru, Iremide Owolabi, and Quadri Abdulrasheed Adio — were arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Dehinde Dipeolu.
According to the EFCC, the quartet were arrested on August 29, 2025, during a sting operation at Mambillah Hotel, Ikorodu, following credible intelligence about a syndicate of internet fraudsters operating from the facility.
They were subsequently arraigned on separate one-count charges of fraudulent impersonation and cybercrime.
One of the charges against Asiru read:
“That you, ABEEB OLAMIDE ASIRU (a.k.a. Dolly Parton), on or about 29th August, 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one ‘Dolly Parton’ by holding yourself out as such on your Facebook account with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Similarly, Emmanuel was accused of posing as a white woman named Rose Heathers56 on TikTok to defraud unsuspecting victims.
All four defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, prosecution counsel H.U. Kofarnaisa reviewed the facts of the case through the testimonies of investigating officers Ibrahim Bukar, Samson Aguma, and Ruth Odang, and tendered the defendants’ confessional statements and recovered mobile devices as exhibits.
After reviewing the evidence, Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced:
Martins Emmanuel to three months imprisonment or a fine of ₦600,000;
Abeeb Olamide Asiru to six months imprisonment or a fine of ₦2 million;
Iremide Owolabi and Quadri Abdulrasheed Adio to three months imprisonment each, or a fine of ₦800,000 apiece.
The court also ordered that all the mobile devices recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The EFCC said the convictions further underscore its resolve to rid the country of cybercrime and related offences.
