Court Sentences Two To Prison For Cheating, Impersonation On Telegram
The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentence of Musa Abdulmalik and Sunday Godwin.
The defendants were prosecuted before the Kaduna State High Court Kaduna on separate one-count charge of cheating by impersonation.
The charge against Abdulmalik reads: “That you, Musa Abdulmalik (a.k.a Lynn Ben), sometime in January, 2026 at Kaduna, Kaduna State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed cheating by impersonation when you falsely presented yourself as Lynn Ben, a female and adult entertainer via Telegram (an online social media application) in that assumed character cheated one BJK of the total sum of $80USD (Eighty United States American Dollars) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law, 2017 of Kaduna State and Punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
That of Godwin reads: “That you, Sunday Godwin (a.k.a Chrismitchellprivateacc3) sometime in 2025 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, cheated several unsuspecting victims of the sum total of $400.00 (Four Hundred Australian dollars, only) when you pretended to be one Chrismitchellprivateacc3 on Tiktok (a social media application), and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law, 2017 of Kaduna State and Punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
They both pleaded "guilty," following which the prosecution counsel, M.E. Eimonye asked the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Amina convicted and sentenced Abdulmalik to five years imprisonment or to pay N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. In addition, he forfeited a Samsung Galaxy S23 ultra mobile phone with IMEI 353568560090176 and 354619360090178, being the tool of his crime and the sum of $800 (Eighty US Dollars), being the proceeds of his crime to the federal government.
The judge convicted and sentenced Godwin to four years imprisonment or to pay N300,000 fine.
In addition, he forfeited the sum of $400 Australian Dollars being the proceeds of his crime and an iPhone 13 mobile phone with IMEI 3515486000720, being the tool of his crime to the federal government.