A Federal High Court and two Kwara State High Courts sitting in Ilorin have convicted a gospel singer and eight other individuals for offences related to cybercrime, conspiracy, and misappropriation of funds.
The convicts were prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Otitoju Esan, a 31-year-old self-acclaimed gospel singer based in Lokoja, Kogi State, was sentenced to six months imprisonment without the option of a fine by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court. According to court documents, Esan retained N8.4 million in his UBA bank account—funds traced to unlawful activities.
The charge read that between October 2024 and December 2025, Esan knowingly retained the sum of N8,404,339, being proceeds of criminal conduct, a violation of Section 17(a) and (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.
Also convicted on similar charges were Ayodele Daisi, Adeoye Joseph, and Abubakar Abdulmalik.
- Ayodele Daisi was sentenced to eight months imprisonment without an option of fine, with his Techno 19 phone forfeited to the federal government after being found with N243,750 in his UBA account.
- Adeoye Joseph received an eight-month sentence with no option of fine. He also forfeited $220, an iPhone 13, and a Techno Pop 9 phone.
- Abubakar Abdulmalik was sentenced to six months in prison, and ordered to forfeit his iPhone 16 and Samsung S10.
The EFCC prosecution team, comprising Aliyu Adebayo, Sesan Ola, Rashidat Alao, and Mustapha Kaigama, presented statements, evidence, and recovered sums which were admitted by the courts.
In a related development, Justices Haleema Saleeman and Sulaiman Akanbi of the Kwara State High Court convicted Emeka Achi, Isaac Oluwafemi, Afolabi Olatoye, Zubeiru Junior, and Abdulkadir Taofeek on charges bordering on cybercrime and financial misappropriation.
- Abdulkadir Taofeek was sentenced to three years imprisonment with an option of a ₦500,000 fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of ₦800,000, an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and a Samsung phone to the federal government.
- Emeka Achi, Isaac Oluwafemi, and Afolabi Olatoye were each sentenced to six months imprisonment with a ₦100,000 fine.
Additionally, Emeka was ordered to refund ₦3.35 million within three months and must report to the EFCC every two weeks alongside his parents until the full amount is repaid.
