By Adenike Ayodele
AN IKEJA Special Offences Court on Tuesday ordered a man, Nonso Ekeocha, to undergo 50 hours community service for internet romance scam.
The presiding judge, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, also sentenced Ekeocha to one-year imprisonment, for pleading guilty to a one-count charge of being in possession of fraudulent documents.
Abike-Fadipe, however, gave the convict an option to pay N500,000 fine.
She also held that the convict’s Iphone 12 pro max and Samsung S-10 be forfeited to Federal Government of Nigeria.
Earlier, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged the convict on offences bordering on intent to defraud, being in possession of fraudulent documents, impersonation using fake Instagram profile for online dating scam.
Following his guilty plea, EEFC’s Counsel, Mr Ikhuoria Akhanolu, prayed the court to review the fact of the case by calling his witness.
The prosecution witness, Mr Ismail Saifullahi, in the review of facts, told the court that the convict was arrested in June 29 alongside others who engaged in computer-related fraud in Lagos.
Saifullahi said that when the convict was arrested and brought to the EFCC office, an iPhone 12 pro max and Samsung S-10 phone were recovered from him during arrest.
“The phone was analysed through forensic examination and analysis revealed fraudulent documents.
“The defendant was involved in an online dating scam in which he represented himself as a male American citizen named Ronald Gregory.
“The defendant confessed that he usually carried out his fraudulent activities online by sending love messages randomly to unsuspecting members of the public and those who showed interest in relationship were asked for financial assistance,” the witness said.
The prosecution thereafter tendered the extra judicial statement and a bundle of fraudulent documents printed out from the convict’s mobile device which was admitted as exhibits.
According to the anti-graft agency, the offence violates Section 320 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)
