A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna has sent two young men behind bars for cyber-related crimes, marking another victory in Nigeria’s ongoing crackdown on internet fraud and impersonation.
Justice R.M. Aikawa convicted and sentenced Isaac Otaigbe Omonodion and Obinna Daniel after they pleaded guilty to separate charges filed against them by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Omonodion was charged for falsely posing as a Nigerian Army officer, Major Hashim, on Facebook in April 2025, with the intent to deceive and gain financial benefits. The court heard that the offence took place in Bida, Niger State.
“That you Isaac Otaigbe Omonodion (a.k.a. Major Hashim), male, sometime in April, 2025 in Bida, Niger State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Major Hashim (a Nigerian military personnel) on Facebook, with the intent to gain advantage to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2) (b) (I) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act, 2015,” the charge read.
Daniel, on the other hand, operated under the alias Obinna Y. Emmette on TikTok, where he impersonated an American citizen and obtained $500 fraudulently from one Alex Dample between January and December 2024 in Tammah, Nasarawa State.
He was charged with an offence under Section 22 (2) (b) (ii) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.
Following their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel M.U. Gadaka urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants without delay. Justice Aikawa subsequently sentenced Omonodion to three years imprisonment with an option of N300,000 fine, and ordered the forfeiture of his Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus to the Federal Government.
Daniel was handed a five-year jail term or a fine of N400,000. He also forfeited an iPhone 16 Plus and the $500 he fraudulently obtained, both of which were declared proceeds of crime.
The EFCC disclosed that the arrests were based on credible intelligence linking the duo to online fraud operations in their respective states.
