The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced two men, Joshua Victor David and Abdulmalik Adesanya Olayiwola, to one year imprisonment each for fraudulent impersonation.
Justice Alexander Owoeye delivered the judgment after the duo pleaded guilty to separate one-count charges filed against them by the Lagos Zonal Directorate I of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the charges, David, in August 2025, posed as “Clara Jane” and used the email address monexmindedloas767@gmail.com to deceive a victim, John Brill, with the intent of securing unlawful benefits. His actions contravened Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
Similarly, Olayiwola was accused of impersonating one Kylie Dowdy on Facebook in the same period with the aim of defrauding unsuspecting victims, also in violation of the cybercrimes law.
During proceedings, prosecution counsel Fadeke Giwa and Ukoha Nwandu presented the defendants’ confessional statements as well as mobile devices recovered from them as evidence. They urged the court to convict the defendants based on their pleas and the facts of the case.
Justice Owoeye, in his ruling, sentenced David to one year imprisonment with an option of a ₦300,000 fine. The court further ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone 16 and a bank draft of ₦250,000 to the Federal Government.
Olayiwola received the same one-year jail term but was given the option of paying a ₦600,000 fine in lieu of serving the sentence.
Both men were arrested by EFCC operatives during investigations into internet fraud before being arraigned and subsequently convicted.
