July 21, 2025
Justice Alexanda Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday, July 21, 2025, convicted and sentenced the duo of Damelda Damilola Sodiq and Samuel Paul Osayande to one year imprisonment each for cybercrime.
They were arrested recently in the Ipaja Command area of Lagos by operatives of the EFCC, following credible intelligence on the activities of some internet fraudsters.
Investigations revealed that each of the defendants had three bank accounts domiciled in United Bank of Africa (UBA), Opay and Moniepoint, in addition to several email accounts , which they used to defraud their unsuspecting victims.
They were subsequently arraigned on June 27, 2025 on separate one-count charge bordering on cybercrime by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The charge against Sodiq reads: “That you, Damelda Damilola Sodiq, sometime between January and May, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, fraudulently held out yourself on TikTok, as an American actress from Atlanta, United States, bearing the name “Regan Kay kaufman”, with intent to get advantage for yourself and you hereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section (22)3 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition e.t.c) Act. 2015.”
The charge against Osanyande reads: “That you, Samuel Paul Osayande, sometime between January and May, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently held out yourself on Instagram account, ajorgejaviervazquez, as a Spanish Television Presenter bearing the name “Jorge Javier Vazquez”, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition etc.) Act, 2015.”
They each pleaded “guilty” to the charges preferred against them.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, A.A. Usman called on Muhammad Sani Nuhu, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the matters.
Nuhu told the court that the defendants were arrested sometime in May, 2025, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of a syndicate of internet fraudsters operating in the Ipaja Command area of Lagos State.
According to him, “an iPhone 11 was recovered from Sodiq, while an IPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone Xr were recovered from Paul upon arrest.
“They were duly processed and the defendants volunteered their statements under words of caution.
“Investigations were conducted and forensic evidence was printed out from their phones.
“Sodiq confessed that he was into modelling scam and that he had benefited the sum of $400 ( Four Hundred United States Dollars).
“Osayande confessed he was into romance scam and that he had benefited the sum of $200(Two Hundred United States Dollars).”
He also told the court that Sodiq restituted the sum of N150,000 ( One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), while Osayande restituted the sum of N100,000(One Hundred Thousand Naira) by tendering bank drafts.
Usman further sought to tender, in evidence, the defendants’ extrajudicial statements, iPhone 11 Pro Max and iPhone XR recovered from Osayande, the iPhone 11 recovered from Sodiq as well as the forensic investigation document printed out from both phones.
Justice Owoeye admitted them as exhibits.
Justice Owoeye convicted and sentenced Sodiq to one year imprisonment, with an option of fine of N150,000(One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira).
The sentences are to commence from May 16,2025.
The Judge also ordered that their iPhone 11 Pro Max , iPhone XR, iPhone 11 and bank drafts be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
