The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully secured the conviction of two men for cheating through online impersonation.
Musa Abdulmalik, also known as Lynn Ben, and Sunday Godwin, also known as Chrismitchellprivateacc3, were sentenced by Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court for separate one-count charges of cheating by impersonation.
Abdulmalik, who posed as a female adult entertainer on Telegram, defrauded a victim of $80. Justice Bello sentenced him to five years imprisonment or a N300,000 fine, and ordered the forfeiture of a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra used in the crime, as well as $80 obtained from his victim.
Godwin, who impersonated a social media user on TikTok, cheated several victims out of 400 Australian dollars.
He was sentenced to four years imprisonment or a N300,000 fine, with forfeiture of an iPhone 13 and the defrauded amount.
Speaking on the convictions, EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said:
“These convictions demonstrate our unwavering commitment to fighting online fraud. Impersonation and cybercrime will not be tolerated in Nigeria.”
He added, “We urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious online activity to the EFCC to prevent further victimisation.”
The court proceedings serve as a stern warning that cybercriminals face severe penalties, including imprisonment, fines, and forfeiture of instruments and proceeds of crime.