Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Holding Fraudulent Documents Linked to Romance Scam

Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, convicted and sentenced Nonso Joseph Ekeocha to one year in prison for possession of fraudulent documents.

Ekeocha was prosecuted by the Lagos Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a one-count charge related to possessing fraudulent documents used to facilitate a romance scam.

The count reads: “Nonso Joseph Ekeocha, on or about the 27th June 2024 in Lagos, within the judicial division of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, had in your possession, ‘Instagram Profile Account’, wherein you represented yourself as Ronald Gregory, and other related documents for an online dating scam, which you knew or ought to know to be false.”

He pleaded “guilty” to the charge.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel I.G. Akhanolu requested the court to call a witness, Ismail Saifullahi, an operative of the Commission, to provide a review of the facts.

Saifullahi testified that the defendant was arrested along with others involved in computer-related fraud in Lagos on June 29, 2024.

Saifullahi said: “Upon his arrest, he was brought to the EFCC office. Items recovered from him at the point of arrest were iPhone 12 pro max and Samsung S-10 phones, which were analysed through a forensic examination.

“The analysis revealed fraudulent documents about the defendant’s involvement in an online dating scam, where he represented himself as a male American bearing Ronald Gregory.

“He informed the Commission that he usually carried out the fraudulent activities by sending love messages randomly online to members of the public and that those who showed interest in having a relationship were asked for financial assistance.”