Justice A. T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has convicted and sentenced Henry Nathaniel Ekanem, a final-year student at the University of Port Harcourt, to fourteen (14) years in prison.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced the sentencing on its X page on Wednesday, stating that Ekanem was found guilty of internet fraud.
He was sentenced after being arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on seven counts related to obtaining money under false pretenses and impersonation.
One of the counts against him reads: “That you, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem on or about 17th September, 2024, at Choba in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of Twenty Two United states of America dollars ($22) from Diana Roskov by fraudulently representing yourself as Coran Capsha, manager of the singer, Chris Stapleton, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud-Related Offences Act 2006.”
He pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him. In light of his plea, prosecution counsel A. Abubakar called witnesses and submitted several documents as evidence, all of which were admitted by the court and marked as exhibits.
He subsequently requested the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
The defendant’s counsel, F. T. Fred-Boufini, did not oppose the prosecution’s request. Instead, she urged the court to temper justice with mercy, emphasizing that the defendant was a first-time offender with no prior criminal record.
Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years of imprisonment for each of the seven counts, with an option of a fine of N200,000 to be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of all phones recovered from the convict to the government, as they were deemed proceeds of crime.
Furthermore, the convict was instructed to depose an affidavit of good behavior before the court.
Ekanem’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested by operatives of the Commission in September at Choba, Port Harcourt, for internet fraud and related criminal activities.
He successfully defrauded several victims, including one Diana Roskov, by fraudulently posing as Coran Capsha, the manager of singer Chris Stapleton, through WhatsApp and Instagram communications.
