Nigerian Footballer Sentenced to 1 Year in Jail for Love Scam and Other Heartbreaking Offences

• Baraye Bamidele Saoban who is a Nigerian footballer has been handed a 1-year jail term for cyber-crime offences
• The judgment was made at the Kwara state High Court on Wednesday, September 22, by Justice Oyinloye
• However, the proprietor of Ibrafix Football Club in Ilorin explained that Saoban was not a registered player in his club

Nigerian footballer Baraye Bamidele Saoban has been sentenced to jail for one year based on offences bordering on love scam according to the judgment delivered by Justice Oyinloye of the Kwara state High Court on Wednesday, September 22.

According to the official statement made by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), they stated clearly that Baraye Bamidele Saoban is a player of Ibrafix Football Club.

Ibrafix Football Club is located in Ilorin and they train on a daily basis at Muhammed Kamaldeen pitch, Apalara in Adewole area.

EFCC in their report also disclosed that the Nigerian player Baraye Bamidele Saoban pleaded guilty to cyber-crime as some incriminating items were seen and gotten from him after being arrested.

Justice Oyinloye however sentenced however gave the footballer an option of paying fine of N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) and also ordered the convicted to forfeit the iPhone recovered from him at the point of arrest.

Speaking to Legit.ng on the conviction of Baraye Bamidele Saoban, Suleiman Afeez who is the proprietor and coach of Ibrafix Football Club claimed that the footballer was never a registered member of his club.

Afeez who felt bad about how the name of his club was dragged to the mud explained that the convicted footballer only used to train with them often to exercise his body.

Suleiman Afeez's reaction

''I will not deny knowing him because he lives around my area, but he is not a registered member of my team and has never even played any game for us in any competition.

''He only used to come to my team often to train and anytime he comes, I will allow him to train with us based on the fact that I know his house and I used to see him, but he is not my player.

''I believe he only used that to cover up at the EFCC office which I am not happy with.''

Former Chelsea star dumps England, wants to play for Nigeria

Earlier, Legit.ng had reported how Ike Ugbo who currently plays for Belgian side Genk as a forward has made it clear that he wants to play for the Super Eagles of Nigeria and not the Three-Lions of England.

The 22-year-old who started his professional career at Premier League side Chelsea sees himself not getting the chance to play for England national team and will not want to waste his time.

Over the years, Nigeria and England have engaged in battle on the allegiances of some players, and recently, the European nation triumphed as they got the trio of Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham and Bukayo Saka.