By Jonathan Ugbal
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Gwagwalada and Presided over by Justice A. Y Shafa on Wednesday, convicted a Cross Riverian, Canice Agabi for personation.
Agabi, 25, had sometime in 2021, presented himself as an “American citizen and created an Instagram account with the username ‘Randy Sylvester’ and benefitted a total sum of $1,000 (One Thousand United States Dollars) from one Anne Fuscelaro, a United States citizen,” the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC said in a statement.
He misled Fuscellaro, “into believing that he was into Bitcoin Investment and that she could earn a good return on investment if she invested in his cryptocurrency company, Prime Cash Investment, a fact he knew was false,” the EFCC said.
He was charged with personation, an offense contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation (Abuja) 1990, and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act.
He pleaded guilty when he was arraigned and Justice Shafa “convicted and sentenced him to three months imprisonment with an option of NGN 200,000 fine,” the EFCC said.
Mr. Agabi had earlier returned $200 and is, “to pay a further sum of NGN 623,000 in restitution to the Federation Account,” the EFCC said.
Justice Shafa also ordered that his Samsung Note 10 mobile phone which he used to commit the crime be burnt in the Court premises.
