Court Sentences Man to One Year for Online Fraud in Lagos

On Friday, May 30, 2025, Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, sentenced Adenuga Elijah to one year in prison for internet fraud.

Elijah faced a single count of impersonation and cybercrime, brought against him by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charge stated that on November 12, 2024, in Lagos, he fraudulently impersonated "Pearl Xavier" on Google with the intent of gaining an advantage for himself, violating Section 22 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, etc.) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2015. He pleaded "guilty" to the charges upon their presentation in court. Following his admission of guilt, prosecution counsel Abdulhamid L. Tukur called EFCC operative Adams Adze to recount the details of the case. Adze explained that Elijah was arrested in November 2024 based on reliable intelligence concerning a group of internet fraudsters operating in the Lekki area of Lagos State. He noted that an iPhone 12 Pro Max and an HP laptop were seized from Elijah at the time of his arrest. "After his arrest, Elijah was processed, and he willingly provided his statements. Investigations revealed forensic evidence extracted from his phone. He confessed to participating in a dating scam and stated that he had made $200 (Two Hundred United States Dollars) from it," Adze said to the court. He further informed the court that Elijah had reimbursed a sum of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) through a bank draft.

Tukur subsequently sought to present the defendant's extrajudicial statements, the iPhone, the HP laptop, and the forensic investigation documents as evidence. The court accepted these items as exhibits. Elijah requested leniency from the court, stating, "I have started a business and enrolled in a polytechnic to further my education." Ultimately, Justice Bogoro convicted Elijah and sentenced him to one year in prison but offered an alternative of a fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira). The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the bank draft, mobile phone, and HP laptop to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Elijah received his sentence after being arrested and charged for internet fraud.