EFCC Secures Convictions of Internet Fraudsters at Obasanjo Library Hotel

LAGOS — Two men arrested during a sting operation at a hotel inside the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, have been convicted of internet fraud. Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, sentenced Yusuf Ramon and Ganiyu Ibrahim to one month in prison each, with the option of a ₦200,000 fine.

The duo were among 93 suspects arrested on August 10, 2025, during a raid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Both men were arraigned on separate one-count charges of impersonation and cybercrime.

Details of the Charges and Conviction

According to court documents, Yusuf Ramon was charged with impersonating a white woman named "Anna Marry" on Instagram. Ganiyu Ibrahim, on the other hand, was charged with fraudulently representing himself as a white American female named "Elena Pears" on Facebook.

Both men pleaded guilty to the charges. The prosecution presented evidence including their devices, extra-judicial statements, and a bank draft of ₦200,000 from Ibrahim for restitution. The court admitted all items as exhibits and, based on the guilty pleas and evidence, convicted both defendants.

In his judgment, Justice Dipeolu sentenced both Ramon and Ibrahim to one month in prison, starting from their date of arrest, but offered a ₦200,000 fine as an alternative. The court also ordered the forfeiture of their iPhones and the ₦200,000 restitution draft to the Federal Government.

This conviction is part of a series of successful prosecutions by the EFCC. The commission recently secured the convictions of three other individuals arrested at the same hotel—Adewale Adewole Adenekan, Oyatokun Damilola Qudus, and Adisa Okikiade—as well as three others, Isaac Akinwale, Ibrahim Azeez Olatunji, and Habeeb Oladipupo Oshundairo, all of whom pleaded guilty to similar offenses.

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