A Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna has convicted and sentenced three individuals to prison for offences bordering on internet fraud.
The trial judge, Justice A. Isiaka, handed down the verdict against Aliyu Hassan, Samuel Olamide, and Solomon Joseph Christian after they were found guilty of criminal impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
The trio were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate one-count charges.
According to the EFCC, Hassan, who operated under the alias “Ottaviani Loverules Giovanni,” impersonated a Brazilian citizen on Facebook and defrauded a victim identified as Kerry of N90,000.
Olamide, also known as “Johnny,” was accused of posing as an American citizen on TikTok to defraud one Jackie Sanders, while Christian, alias “Jenort,” impersonated another individual on Facebook and obtained $150 from his victim.
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All three defendants pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read in court. Following their pleas, prosecution counsel M.U. Gadaka urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
In his judgment, Justice Isiaka sentenced each of the convicts to five years imprisonment, with an option of a N300,000 fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of items and funds linked to the crimes. Hassan forfeited N90,000 and a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 phone, Olamide forfeited a Samsung Galaxy S21, while Christian forfeited an iPhone 14 Pro and $150. All forfeited assets were ordered to be handed over to the Federal Government.
The EFCC disclosed that the convicts were arrested in the Agwa, Kudende area of Kaduna following credible intelligence linking them to fraudulent internet activities.
