The Ikeja special offences court has ordered Nonso Ekeocha, an internet fraudster, to perform 50 hours of community service for involvement in an internet love scam.
Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, the presiding judge, also sentenced Ekeocha to one year in prison after he pleaded guilty to a single charge of possessing fraudulent documents.
However, Abike-Fadipe gave the convict the option of paying a fine of N500,000.
She also ordered that Ekeocha’s iPhone 12 Pro Max and Samsung S-10 be forfeited to the government.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had initially charged Ekeocha with intent to defraud, possessing fraudulent documents, and impersonating others using a fake Instagram profile for online scams.
Ikhuoria Akhanolu, the EFCC counsel, asked the court to call a witness for a case review following the defendant’s guilty plea.
Ismail Saifullahi, the prosecution witness, told the court that Ekeocha was arrested on June 29, alongside others involved in computer-based fraud in Lagos.
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Saifullahi added that Ekeocha’s iPhone 12 Pro Max and Samsung S-10 were seized during the arrest, noting that a forensic analysis of the phones revealed the presence of fraudulent documents.
“The defendant was engaged in an online dating scam, pretending to be a male American named Ronald Gregory,” he said.
The witness added that Ekeocha admitted to sending romantic messages to unsuspecting people online, with those who responded being asked for financial support.
The prosecution submitted Ekeocha’s extrajudicial statement and several fraudulent documents, which were accepted as evidence.
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The EFCC noted that Ekeocha’s actions violated section 320 of the criminal laws of Lagos state, 2015.
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