Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court has convicted and sentenced one Zeal Abraham to two years in prison for internet fraud and impersonation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its Kaduna Zonal Directorate, arraigned Abraham on a one-count charge bordering on cheating and false representation. He was accused of posing as an American musician named Chris Mitchell on the social media app Zangi to defraud a victim, Laura Moss, of $200.
The charge read:
“That you Zeal Abraham (a.k.a Chris Mitchell)(m), sometime in 2025 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, cheated one Laura Moss of the total sum of $200 USD when you pretended to be Chris Mitchell; a musician on ‘Zangi’, which you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna Penal Code Law of 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same law.”
Abraham pleaded guilty to the charge. In response, EFCC counsel M.E. Eimonye urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Bello sentenced the defendant to two years in prison with an option of ₦400,000 fine. She also ordered the forfeiture of a Samsung G9355 mobile phone, used in perpetrating the crime, and the $200 fraudulently obtained, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The convict was arrested earlier in 2025 on Post Office Road, Sabo, following actionable intelligence linking him and others to online fraudulent activities.
The EFCC reiterated its commitment to clamping down on cybercrime and restoring integrity to Nigeria’s digital space.
