Court jails fake spiritualist for one year over internet fraud in Kwara

A high court in Kwara state has sentenced Odeyemi Oluwaseun, a fake spiritualist, to one year in prison for internet fraud.

A statement issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Oluwaseun was arraigned on Wednesday on a two-count charge bordering on internet fraud, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretences.

Mahmud Abdulgafar, the presiding judge, gave the ruling.

The EFCC alleged that the 23-year-old “defrauded his victims on the internet by posing as an American-based female spiritualist with powers to cause jilted women and estranged wives to regain the affection of their men”.

In count one, the defendant was accused of dishonestly inducing one Bose to send $3,200 worth of gift cards to him, with the impression that the same would be used to diabolically influence her ex-husband to return and marry her.

In count two, he was said to have dishonestly induced one Schneider Alina to send $4,500 worth of gift cards to him, with the impression that the fund would be used to diabolically control her ex-boyfriend to return and marry her.

“He pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him, following which prosecution counsel, Sesan Ola, reviewed the facts of the case, tendered the convict’s extra-judicial statements and evidence, including the sum of $1000 recovered from him, and prayed the court to convict and sentence him as charged,” the EFCC statement reads.

“Convinced that the prosecution has proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, Justice Abdulgafar sentenced Oluwaseun to a six-month suspended jail term on each of the counts and ordered that the sum of $1000, an iPhone 15, and a 2008 Toyota Camry car recovered from him be forfeited to the federal government.”