Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Kaduna has sentenced two Internet fraudsters, Samuel Ezekiel Godfrey and Yahaya Mustapha, to prison terms of two and five years respectively, each with an option to pay fines.
Godfrey, who used the alias Dixon Kelvin, was sentenced to two years in prison or a fine of N500,000. Mustapha, on the other hand, received a five-year jail term or a fine of N300,000.
Both men were convicted on separate one-count charges filed by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), relating to criminal impersonation, cybercrime, and money laundering.
Godfrey was found guilty of using a fake Facebook profile to fraudulently obtain N191,580 in Bida, Niger State, earlier this year. His offence violated Section 22(2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Mustapha, using the false identity “Mike Benjamin,”;; claimed to be an American citizen and defrauded victims of $100 via Facebook in April 2025. His actions also contravened the same sections of the Cybercrimes Act.
Both defendants pleaded guilty during the trial. The prosecution counsel, M.U. Gadaka, urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly, while their defense lawyers requested leniency, citing their clients’ remorse.
In addition to their sentences, Justice Aikawa ordered Godfrey to forfeit the N191,580 he obtained illegally and the iPhone used in committing the crime to the Federal Government. Mustapha was similarly ordered to surrender his iPhone 14 Pro and to restitute the $100 to his victim.
The EFCC arrested both men in Bida Local Government Area following credible intelligence on their fraudulent internet activities.
The commission continues to warn the public against engaging in cybercrime and urges vigilance in online transactions.
