Nine suspected internet fraudsters were on Monday docked and later remanded in prison custody by a Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Emmanuel Ayoola by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office.
They are: Oluwafemi Samuel Emmanuel (18), Owopade Olanrewaju (27), Olatunbosun Kolawole, Ayoola Olalekan, Oyelude Opeyemi alias J. C. Grey, Azeez Rasaq Adewale, Ajao Ibrahim Ololade alias Rita Loris, Adesina Oluwaseun and Ibusiola Olalekan.
The defendants, who were separately arraigned, were said to have fraudulently obtained thousands of dollars from several America citizens through fake relationships.
The EFCC prosecution, led by Mr. Festus Ojo, alleged that the defendants defrauded their victims pretending as women with falsified names.
They were alleged to have committed the purported crime between June 20, 2018 and June 2019 at Oke-baale/Otaefun, Osogbo.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges of illegal possession of fake documents to defraud, obtaining money under false pretence, impersonation, among others, leveled against them by the EFCC.
Their counsels, Messrs Olusayo Adewale, Dapo Adekunle, T. O. Adigun, Saheed Oyebisi, E. E. Jacob, Akinlabi Akinfala and Dele Abass, urged the court to grant their clients bail in a liberal terms.
However, efforts to secure their bail proved futile as the prosecution objected to the plea, arguing that he would like to react to the bail formally.
The presiding judge therefore ordere the defendants to be remanded in prison custody. He advised the counsels to file their bail and bring it for ruling on July 2, 2019.
