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.

______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation ______________________________________________________________________ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. Bonus: Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.

How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com

Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626

________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola _______________________________________________________________________