* Forfeit 3 duplexes in posh areas of Lekki, others
* Lose over N200m in different bank accounts
* Forfeit expensive luxury cars to FG
The die is cast and judgment day finally came for two Nigerian fraudsters, Tobilola Ibrahim Bakare and Alimi Seun Sikiru as they lost cash and properties in upscale Lekki axis of Lagos State to the Federal Government following their arrest and successful prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The forfeited assets include N196, 741, 216.82 and N7, 054, 852.01 in bank accounts; two vehicles, a Mercedes Benz E500 and a Toyota Hilux 2020 and five bedroom duplex situated at Ibrahim Eleto Street, Osopa London, Lekki, Lagos, four bedroom semi-detached duplex situated at Ologolo, Jakande, Lekki, Lagos and another four bedroom semi-detached duplex in Southern View Estate, Mayor Court, Chevron Alternative Road, Lekki, Lagos.
The two vehicles are valued at N30million while the three duplexes are valued at N230million.
The fraudsters gave up the assets as they failed to give satisfactory explanation of the funds and properties linked to them. Incidentally, the convicts confessed to involvement in cybercrime. Bakare, 27, an indigene of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State claimed his forte is Business Email Compromise, and that he had hacked into different companies outside the shores of Nigeria.
The scammers had been successful in their ignoble trade, earning a cumulative sum of $1million USD from victims including three foreign airlines through Business Email Compromise fraud. They laundered the proceeds of crime in acquiring properties including real estate and luxury vehicles.
Life was good, but nemesis caught up with them in September 2020, when the EFCC operatives, in the course of investigating a case of suspicious transactions and money laundering involving one Kehinde Adelakun, a convicted internet fraudster, stumbled on evidence linking Alvine International Resources Ventures, owned by the second defendant, Sikiru.
The transaction that sets off the alarm bell was an inflow of N5million in two tranches from Alvine International Resources Ventures.
Further probing by the investigators, revealed several inflows suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities in both the Sterling Bank and Polaris accounts of the second defendant. The balance in both accounts: N196, 741,216.82 in Sterling Bank and N7, 054,852.01 in Polaris Bank, were swiftly placed on a Post No Debit (PND) to forestall dissipation of the funds pending the conclusion of investigation and determination of the case.
The second defendant, in his statement to the Commission , admitted that majority of the funds found in his account were from the first defendant, Bakare, who confessed to being into Business Email Compromise, BEC, between 2009 and 2020 and also hacking into the accounts of KLM, Turkish Airlines and British Airways.
The fraudster were subsequently arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja on a five-count amended charge of conspiracy and retaining stolen property.
According to the prosecuting EFCC, the offence is contrary to Sections 411 and 328 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
One of the counts reads in part : “Tobilola Ibrahim Bakare and Alimi Seun Sikiru, sometime in 2020 in Lagos, conspired to commit felony to wit: retaining cumulative sum of about $1million USD property of KLM, Turkish Airways and British Airways.”
Another count reads in part: “Tobiloba Ibrahim Bakare and Alimi Seun Sikiru, sometime in 2020 in Lagos, with a dishonest intent, retained four -bedroom detached duplex situated at Ologolo Jakande, Lekki, Lagos.”
But when the charge was read to them, they pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge preferred against them.
In her landmark judgment, Justice Taiwo held that the action of the convicts was “responsible for giving Nigeria a bad image globally, whereby the average Nigerian is looked upon as being untrustworthy and fraudulent”.
She thereafter convicted and sentenced Bakare, to three years imprisonment on counts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, with the option of fine of N3million.
The Judge also convicted and sentenced Sikiru, to three years imprisonment on counts 1 and 5 with an option of fine of N1 million.
Justice Taiwo further held that the five bedroom duplex situated at Ibrahim Eleto Street, Osopa London, Lekki, Lagos, four bedroom semi-detached duplex situated at Ologolo , Jakande, Lekki, Lagos and another four bedroom semi-detached duplex in Southern View Estate, Mayor Court, Chevron Alternative Road, Lekki, Lagos recovered from Bakare be forfeited to the Federal Government.
The Judge further held that N196, 741, 216.82 recovered from the Sikiru’s company, Alvine International Resources Ventures account domiciled in Sterling Bank and N7, 054, 852. 01 recovered from the Sikiru’s account domiciled in Polaris Bank be forfeited to the Federal Government
Justice Taiwo further directed that two vehicles, a Mercedes Benz E500 and a Toyota Hilux 2020 recovered from Bakare should be forfeited to the Federal Government.
