A Kaduna State High Court has sentenced two men to prison for online impersonation and fraud after their conviction by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The convicts, Musa Abdulmalik and Sunday Godwin, were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court.
The court found both men guilty of cheating by impersonation after they used social media platforms to deceive victims and obtain money under false pretenses.
Abdulmalik was charged for posing as a female adult entertainer under the alias “Lynn Ben” on the messaging platform Telegram. According to the charge, he defrauded a victim identified as BJK of 80 dollars in January 2026 through the fraudulent online identity.
The offence contravenes Sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017, which criminalise cheating and impersonation.
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In a separate case, Godwin operated a TikTok account with the username “Chrismitchellprivateacc3,” through which he deceived several victims and obtained 400 Australian dollars in 2025.
During proceedings, both defendants pleaded guilty to the charges. Prosecuting counsel, M. E. Eimonye, urged the court to convict and sentence them in accordance with the law.
Delivering judgment, Justice Bello sentenced Abdulmalik to five years imprisonment with an option of a 300,000 naira fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the 80 dollars obtained from the crime to the Federal Government.
Godwin received a four year prison sentence with an option of a 300,000 naira fine. He was further ordered to forfeit an iPhone 13 and the 400 Australian dollars recovered from the offence.
The judgment highlights the continuing crackdown on cybercrime and online impersonation by Nigerian authorities. The ruling also serves as a warning that social media platforms cannot be used as tools for fraud or deception against unsuspecting victims.
