Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of a Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja, has sentenced a man, Toheeb Yusuf, to one year imprisonment for engaging in money laundering.
The judge sentenced him following his guilty plea to an amended charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Yusuf was brought to the court on a plea bargain agreement he signed with EFCC.
The prosecution said his offence contravened the provision of Section 330(2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
In her judgement, Justice Abike-Fadipe ordered that the convict serve his term at the Custodial Centre, Ikoyi, and gave him an option of 100 hours community service to be supervised by officials of the correctional centre.
The judge also ordered that the convict be returned to the centre to finish remainder of his term any day he refused to show up for the community service.
“The convict shall forfeit his iPhone 13 Pro and the Toyota Camry car and the sum of N1 million manager’s cheque raised in favour of the EFCC,” the court ruled.
Earlier in the proceeding, the prosecuting counsel, Ebuka Okongwu, while reviewing facts of the case, said the convict was involved in cybercrime.
According to him, the convict was arrested during an operation on September 19, 2023, with an iPhone 13 Pro Max, and gold Toyota Camry in his possession.
Okongwu told the court that the convict concealed and disguised the genuine nature and ownership of the aggregate sum of $23,423 money received from his illegal transaction.
However, the defendant’s counsel, Shina Makinde, prayed the court to give the convict a non-custodial sentence.
He noted that the convict was a first time offender, who did not waste the time of the court.
He added that his wife left him with his child over the issue and prayed that the court should have mercy on him.
Also, the convict, in his plea for mercy said he has turned a new leaf.
