BLESSING OMALE, Abuja
The Kaduna State High Court has sentenced one Muhammad Kabiru to two years’ imprisonment for internet fraud after he pleaded guilty to impersonating an American actress in a love scam.
Justice M.J. Zubairu, who delivered the judgment on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, convicted Kabiru on a one-count charge of criminal impersonation brought against him by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the EFCC, Kabiru had, in July 2025, posed as Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston on the social media platform Telegram to defraud unsuspecting victims by luring them into online relationships.
The offence contravenes Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.
Upon his arraignment, Kabiru admitted guilt, prompting the EFCC’s counsel, M.U. Gadaka urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Zubairu thereafter handed him a two-year jail term with an option of N200,000 fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone 14 Pro, which was used to perpetrate the crime, to the federal government.
The convict was among several suspects arrested by EFCC operatives along Governor Road in Kaduna metropolis following intelligence reports that linked them to fraudulent online activities.
The anti-graft agency has repeatedly warned youths to shun internet-related crimes, stressing that it will continue to pursue and prosecute offenders to safeguard society.
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