The Kaduna State High Court has convicted and sentenced three persons for fraud carried out via Facebook and TikTok in Kaduna State.
The convicts — Aliyu Hassan, Samuel Olamide, and Solomon Joseph Christian — were found guilty of separate one-count charges bordering on criminal impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
The convictions were disclosed in a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on its verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday. The anti-graft agency said its Kaduna Zonal Directorate secured the convictions before Justice A. Isiaka.
According to the statement, Hassan, also known as Ottaviani Loverules Giovanni, impersonated a Brazilian citizen on Facebook on February 9, 2026, and defrauded a victim, Kerry, of N90,000.
Olamide, alias Johnny, was said to have impersonated a United States citizen on TikTok on the same date and defrauded an American, identified as Jackie Sanders.
Similarly, Christian, also known as Jenort, impersonated another individual on Facebook in February 2026 and obtained $150 from his victim.
The EFCC said the offences contravened Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.
It added that the defendants pleaded guilty, prompting the prosecution counsel, M.U. Gadaka, to urge the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
Justice Isiaka subsequently sentenced each of the convicts to five years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N300,000 fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of items recovered from them to the Federal Government. Hassan forfeited N90,000 and a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 used in committing the offence; Olamide forfeited a Samsung Galaxy S21; while Christian forfeited an iPhone 14 Pro and $150, identified as proceeds of the crime.
The EFCC said the convicts were arrested in the Agwa/Kudende area of Kaduna following credible intelligence linking them to fraudulent internet activities.
The convictions came less than a year after the Kaduna State High Court secured similar convictions against five others for related offences. Justices M.J. Zubairu and Amina Bello had earlier convicted Mukaila Kunle Olarinoye, Solomon Peter Dikum, Joseph Wisdom, Bona Jepnum Boniface, and David John on charges bordering on criminal breach of trust, cheating, and impersonation.
