Justice A. T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has convicted and sentenced a final year student of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Henry Nathaniel Ekanem to 14 years imprisonment for duping an American, Diana Roskov the sum of $22.
He was jailed on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, upon arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on seven-count charges bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation.
Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on each of the seven-count or an option of a fine of N200,000, payable into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judge also ordered that all the phones recovered from the convict be forfeited to the government, being proceeds of crime. The convict shall also depose an affidavit of good behaviour before the court.
One of the counts 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.
