Court orders permanent forfeiture of proceeds of cybercrime

TRACKING___The Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday ordered a permanent forfeiture of proceeds of cybercrime, perpetrated by a 22-year old student, Tunde Moses.

The convict had entered a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the prosecuting agency.

Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmed Mohammed said, “having regards to the plea of guilty of the defendant to the three-count charge, the court finds him guilty.”

Mohammed ordered that all proceeds of the crime including a Mercedes Benz, an IPhone, a Nokia phone and an IPad would be forfeited, auctioned and the proceeds given to the victims.

The judge said that he found the guilty plea as well as the fact that the convict was a first time offender germane adding that the court was obliged to give him a second chance at life.

He, therefore, asked the convict to pay a fine of N200,000 and warned him to turn a new leaf saying that if he committed a crime again, the full wrath of the law would be brought down on him.

Another term of the agreement was that the convict would undergo six months of counselling.

Counsel to the convict, Mr Oluwole Aladedoye prayed the court to take into consideration the fact that the convict was a first time offender in sentencing him.

The lawyer also urged the court to be merciful in sentencing his client since his client did not waste the time of the court but pleaded guilty to the charges.

He further prayed the court to give the convict an option of fine rather than send him to the Correctional Centre.

He also said the convict had shown remorse by relinquishing all the items that proceeded from the crime and forfeiting same just as he had kept to all the conditions of his bail.