RismadarVoice Reporters
March 19, 2026
Kaduna State High Court sitting in Kaduna has convicted and sentenced three individuals to prison for offences bordering on internet fraud and impersonation.
The convicts: Aliyu Hassan, Samuel Olamide, and Solomon Joseph Christian were prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate one-count charges of criminal impersonation and obtaining by false pretence.
According to the EFCC, Hassan, who operated under the alias “Ottaviani Loverules Giovanni,” impersonated a Brazilian citizen on Facebook and defrauded a victim of ₦90,000. Olamide, also known as “Johnny,” impersonated a United States citizen via TikTok and defrauded an American victim, while Christian, alias “Jenort,” used Facebook to impersonate another individual and obtained $150 from his victim.
All three defendants pleaded guilty to the charges when they were arraigned, prompting prosecution counsel, M.U. Gadaka, to urge the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
In his judgment, Justice A. Isiaka convicted the trio and sentenced them to five years imprisonment each, with an option of a N300,000 fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of items and funds linked to the crimes. Hassan forfeited N90,000 and a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 phone; Olamide forfeited a Samsung Galaxy S21 phone; while Christian forfeited an iPhone 14 Pro and $150. All forfeited items are to be handed over to the Federal Government.
The EFCC said the convicts were arrested in the Agwa, Kudende area of Kaduna following credible intelligence linking them to fraudulent internet activities.
