Kaduna Court Delivers Verdict: Internet Scammers Face Justice

Two Internet fraudsters, Samuel Ezekiel Godfrey and Yahaya Mustapha, were convicted by Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Kaduna to two and five years in jail, respectively, with the possibility of fines.

Godfrey, who went by Dixon Kelvin, was given a two-year prison term or a N500,000 fine. Mustapha, however, was sentenced to five years in prison or a N300,000 fine.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Kaduna Zonal Command brought separate one-count accusations against both men, which resulted in their convictions. The charges included money laundering, cybercrime, and criminal impersonation.

Earlier this year, Godfrey was convicted of obtaining N191,580 fraudulently in Bida, Niger State, using a phony Facebook page. Section 22(2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 was broken by his offense.

In April 2025, Mustapha conned victims of $100 via Facebook by posing as "Mike Benjamin," a fake American citizen. The identical provisions of the Cybercrimes Act were also broken by his acts.

During the trial, both defendants entered guilty pleas. Their defense attorneys asked for clemency, pointing to their clients' regret, while the prosecution's attorney, M.U. Gadaka, urged the court to convict and sentence them appropriately.

Along with their sentencing, Justice Aikawa mandated that Godfrey turn over to the Federal Government the N191,580 he had unlawfully gained and the iPhone he had used to conduct the crime. In a similar vein, Mustapha was ordered to return the $100 to his victim and give up his iPhone 14 Pro.

After receiving reliable information about the two men's fraudulent online activities, the EFCC detained them in the Bida Local Government Area.

The commission is still warning people not to commit cybercrime and to be careful when making purchases online.