Gospel Singer And Eight Others Sentenced To Prison For Cybercrime In Kwara

A gospel singer and eight other persons have been sentenced by various courts in Kwara State for crimes related to internet fraud, conspiracy, and illegal handling of funds.

The convictions came after investigations and prosecutions by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The agency’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, made the announcement in a statement released on Friday, July 18, 2025.

One of those convicted is 31-year-old Moses Otitoju, a self-proclaimed gospel musician from Iyamoye, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

He was sentenced to six months in prison without the option of a fine by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court in Ilorin on Thursday, July 17.

Otitoju, who claimed to perform at weddings, naming ceremonies, and funerals in Lokoja, was found guilty of retaining the proceeds of unlawful activities amounting to over N8.4 million in his bank account.

The charge against him reads in part, “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.”

Otitoju was convicted alongside Ayodele Joseph, Adeoye Joseph, and Abubakar Aliyu Abdulmalik for similar offences by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency.

Ayodele Joseph received an eight-month jail term after being found with N243,750 in his account. The court also ordered the forfeiture of his Techno 19 phone to the federal government.

Adeoye Joseph, from Okene, Kogi State, was also sentenced to eight months in prison. He forfeited $220, an iPhone 13, and a Techno Pop 9 to the government.

Abubakar Abdulmalik was handed a six-month jail sentence, and his iPhone 16 and Samsung S10 were forfeited to the government as well.

The EFCC team, made up of Aliyu Adebayo, Sesan Ola, Rashidat Alao, and Mustapha Kaigama, presented confessional statements, evidence, and recovered funds in court, which were accepted as part of the cases.

KanyiDaily recalls that the EFCC recently declared a 43-year-old man named  Rabiu Auwalu Tijjani wanted over his alleged involvement in a financial crime worth nearly $2 million.