A gospel singer, Moses Otitoju, and eight others have been jailed for offences bordering on cybercrime, conspiracy, and misappropriation of funds.
A Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, handed down the sentences to the convicts.
A statement by Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that prosecuted the convicts said that Otitoju was convicted alongside Ayodele Joseph, Adeoye Joseph, and Abubakar Abdulmalik, all arraigned by the anti-graft agency on similar charges.
The offences were levelled against them by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
Oyewale in the recital added that the 31-year-old gospel artiste from Iyamoye in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, was sentenced to six months imprisonment without the option of a fine by Justice Abimbola Awogboro.
Otitoju was found guilty of retaining the proceeds of unlawful activities, totalling over N8.4 million in his bank account.
The charge against him partly read, “That you, Otitoju Moses Sesan, sometime between October 2024 and December 2025, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did retain control of the gross sum of N8,404,339 in your account, being proceeds of criminal conduct, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 17(a) and (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004.”
On his own part, Ayodele, who was found to have retained N243,750 in his bank account, was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment without the option of a fine.
His Tecno 19 phone was ordered forfeited to the Federal Government.
Adeoye, from Okene LGA of Kogi State, was handed eight months imprisonment without an option of fine as well.
He forfeited the sum of $220, an iPhone 13, and a Tecno Pop 9 phone to the Federal Government.
Abubakar was sentenced to six months imprisonment, with an order of forfeiture of his iPhone 16 and Samsung S10 to the Federal Government.
