The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says Solomon Eke was found guilty of impersonation and sentenced to three years in prison by a Kaduna High Court presided over by Justice Darius Khobo.
The anti-graft agency wrote on its verified Twitter handle @officialEFCC, on Monday that Eke, who had operated a Facebook account with the name Kelvin James, was convicted for impersonating an agent of the American Federal Bureau of Investigation by the name, John Smith.
Following an intelligence report, EFCC stated that Eke was nabbed at Kurudu Phase 5, Abuja, alongside 24 other suspected internet fraudsters.
The statement partly read, “The defendant was arrested by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at Kurudu Phase 5, Abuja, alongside 24 others following intelligence on his alleged internet fraud-related activities.
“Investigation revealed that he operated a Facebook account with the name Kelvin James. Further investigation showed he impersonated an agent of the American Federal Bureau of Investigation by the name, John Smith.”
According to EFCC, the one count read, “That you, Solomon Eke (a.k.a Kelvin James) and others now at large, sometimes in July 2022 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this court, committed an offence to wit; falsely presented yourself as Kelvin James; a white man and a Trading Manager to several unsuspecting victims via ‘Facebook’ (a 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.”
The anti-graft agency added that the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge and was subsequently sentenced to three years imprisonment with an option of N150, 000 fine and was to forfeit his iPhone 14 Pro Max phone to the Federal Government.
