Two Niger youths bag jail terms for impersonation, others

A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna State has sentenced two young men to different jail terms for engaging in cybercrime and other related offenses.

The convicts, Olayinka Saidu also known as Lily Bright, and Adams Shedrack, also known as Kellie Hamza, were both arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) before Justice R.M Aikawa.

Both men who were arrested in Minna were apprehended after the EFCC investigation revealed their involvement in internet fraud including impersonating foreign nationals to dupe many social media users.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Aikawa, Saidu was found guilty to have contravened section 18(2) (B) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 after trying to obtain $100.00 from Chad Betty, a United States-based woman through false pretense.

After pleading guilty, Saidu was sentenced to five years in prison or pay a fine of N700,000 for his money laundering charge.

For Shedrack, the judge convicted the young man for fraudulently obtaining $200 after impersonating a German citizen, Hamza Topchev, on social media in September 2024.

The charge against Shedrack read:
“That you Adams Shedrack, (a.k.a Kellie Hamza), sometime in September 2024 in Minna, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, fraudulently impersonated one Hamza Topchvev (a German citizen) on Facebook, social media platform and fraudulently gained advantage for yourself, the total sum of $200 (Two Hundred USD only) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(B)(ii) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under Subsection 22(2)(b)(iv) of the same Act.”

Following Justice Aikawa’s ruling on Tuesday, Shedrack received a two-year prison term or pay a N500,000 fine.

The court also ordered the forfeiture of their communication devices, used to facilitate their crimes, to the federal government, in addition to their prison terms.