Justice A.I. Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jabi, Abuja, has convicted and sentenced Danji-Fari Ubadallah to two months in prison for internet fraud, following his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The judgment was delivered on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, after the defendant pleaded guilty to a one-count charge bordering on online impersonation and obtaining money under false pretenses, Dele Oyewale, Head, Media & Publicity in a statement on Wednesday.
The EFCC, in its charge, disclosed that Ubadallah had, sometime in 2024, created a fake Facebook account using the profile name Precious Rashel, claiming to be a citizen of the United States of America. Under this false identity, he engaged in a deceptive online relationship with a victim identified as Rueben GI.
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“He manipulated the victim into sending a $50 (Fifty United States Dollars) gift card, which he then traded with a Chinese national named Zhang Jie. The Naira equivalent was deposited into Ubadallah’s Opay account with the number 8100877271.”
The charge read in court stated:
“That you, Danji-Fari Ubadallah sometime in 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court cheated by personation when you created a Facebook account with the profile name Precious Rashel, a United States of America citizen, and under that assumed character obtained the sum of $50.00 (Fifty United States Dollars) from his victim one Rueben GI through a gift card and traded same with one Zhang Jie a Chinese citizen and received the Naira equivalent in your Opay account number 8100877271 under the false pretense that you are in a romantic relationship with him, a fact you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.”
Following his guilty plea, EFCC prosecuting counsel, S.N. Robert, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly. In his ruling, Justice Kutigi sentenced Ubadallah to two months in a correctional facility. However, he was given an option to pay a fine of N90,000 (Ninety Thousand Naira) in lieu of imprisonment.
In addition to the sentence, the court also ordered the forfeiture of the mobile device used in the commission of the crime—an iPhone—to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
This conviction is part of the EFCC’s sustained crackdown on internet-related fraud and cybercrime, which has seen a rise in recent years, particularly among young Nigerians exploiting digital platforms for fraudulent activities. The anti-graft agency has intensified its investigations, arrests, and prosecutions to stem the tide of online scams that continue to affect both local and international victims.
The EFCC reiterated its commitment to eradicating cybercrime and urged the public, especially youths, to channel their creativity into productive and legal ventures rather than internet fraud.
