A Federal High Court, Ibadan Division, has sentenced three persons to prison for being guilty of criminal charges.

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The trio – Augustine Ekeson, Obinna Ureahi Ifeanyi and Osho Olalekan Micheal were convicted in cases filed against them by the Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

They had earlier been arraigned on a three-count charge based on the allegations raised against them in a petitioned received from one Mobolade Dele Akinbuluma, a Doctoral student of the University of Ibadan.

Akinbuluma alleged that the accused hacked into her email account to misrepresent themselves as staff of a Kenyan university where she was to undertake a study as part of her doctorate programme.

The duo pleaded not-guilty to the charge, but later approached the EFCC for a plea bargain. Following an agreement on the terms of the plea bargain, they were re-arraigned on Thursday on a one-count amended charge.

Justice Patricia Ajoku, after considering the facts of an amended one-count charge against Obinna and Ifeanyi, pronounced them guilty and sentenced them to two years imprisonment each.

Meanwhile, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, equally of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, also jailed Osho on Thursday for an internet-related offence. Osho was found guilty of falsely representing himself to be an American citizen named Jack, using same to defraud one Maria.

He was sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to make restitution of $200 (two hundred United States Dollars) to his victim. The jail term takes effect from April 3, 2019, day he was arrested.