In a decisive crackdown on online fraud, the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully prosecuted three individuals before Justice A. Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court.
The defendants—Aliyu Hassan, Samuel Olamide, and Solomon Joseph Christian—faced separate one-count charges related to criminal impersonation and obtaining money through deceit.
Their arrests stemmed from reliable intelligence reports highlighting their involvement in suspicious internet-based schemes in the Agwa and Kudende areas of Kaduna.Each convict assumed fake foreign identities on popular social media platforms to deceive unsuspecting victims.
Hassan posed as a Brazilian national named Ottaviani Loverules Giovanni on Facebook, extracting N90,000 from a victim. Olamide impersonated an American called Johnny on TikTok, defrauding an individual named Jackie Sanders.
Meanwhile, Christian adopted the alias Jenort on Facebook, gaining $150 illicitly. All three pleaded guilty when arraigned, prompting the prosecution to seek appropriate convictions and penalties.
Justice Isiaka convicted the trio and imposed a five-year prison term on each, with an alternative option of paying a N300,000 fine.
In addition to their sentences, the court ordered the forfeiture of crime proceeds and tools: Hassan surrendered N90,000 and a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 phone; Olamide forfeited a Samsung Galaxy S21 device; and Christian handed over an iPhone 14 Pro along with the $150 gained. These assets were remitted to the federal government, underscoring ongoing efforts to deter cyber-enabled crimes and recover illicit gains.
