Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, convicted and sentenced one Salami Ponmile Bassit to three months imprisonment for internet fraud.
He was jailed after being arraigned on Wednesday by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrime.
The count read “That you, SALAMI PONMILE BASSIT, on or about 10th August. 2025 at Lagos within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one “Katia Banks”, a white woman from United States of America on Facebook Mobile Application with intent to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015.”
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him and in view of his charge, prosecution counsel, M. S. Yabo called on Ilyasu Dauda, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.
Dauda stated that the defendant, who represented himself as a white female, was into internet scam. He also stated that the defendant was sending phonographic images to his unsuspecting victims .
According to him, an iPhone 16, which he used to perpetrate the criminal activity, was recovered from him during investigation.
The prosecution counsel, thereafter, sought to tender, in evidence, the defendant’s extra-judicial statement, the iPhone 16 recovered from him and a forensic investigation document printed out from his device. There was no objection by his lawyer and the documents were admitted in evidence by the court.
Justice Dipeolu, after considering the defendant’s guilty plea and the evidence tendered by the prosecution, found him guilty and convicted him.
His lawyer, thereafter, prayed the court for leniency, saying he was “a first-time offender.”
Delivering judgment, Justice Dipeolu convicted the defendant and sentenced him to three months imprisonment , with the option of fine of N2m.
The Judge also ordered that the iPhone recovered from him be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In a similar move, Justice M.J. Zubairu of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, convicted and jailed Muhammad Kabiru for fraud.
Kabiru was prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a one-count charge that bordered on criminal impersonation.
The charge read “That you Muhammad Kabiru, (a.k.a Jennifer Aniston) sometime in July, 2025, in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, committed an offence to wit: falsely presented yourself as Jennifer Aniston (a citizen of United States of America) to several unsuspecting victims via ‘Telegram’ chat (an online social media application) in a bid to lure them into love scam, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.”
He pleaded “guilty”, following which the prosecution counsel, M.U Gadaka urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Zubairu convicted and sentenced him to two years imprisonment or to pay N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. In addition, he forfeited his iPhone 14 Pro to the federal government.
The convict was among the suspects arrested by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on Governor Road, Kaduna metropolis, following intelligence that linked them to fraudulent internet activities.
