Justice Peter Mallong of the Federal High Court Kaduna, on Tuesday sentenced one John Gabriel to six months in prison for impersonation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gabriel was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Office.
The convict was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to one-count charge bordering on Criminal impersonation with the intent to defraud.
Justice Mallong sentenced the convict to six months imprisonment, with N1000, 000 option of fine.
“This sentence is to serve as a deterrent and punishment for the offences he committed knowingly,” the judge said.
Mallong however, warned the convict not to indulge in any further act of criminality.
Earlier, Counsel to the EFCC, Mr E.K. Garba, told the court that Gabriel committed the crime in November 2021 in Kaduna.
According to Garba, the agency’s operatives apprehended Gabriel after receiving a credible intelligence that he was operating with a “deceptive” WhatsApp account to take undue advantage of unsuspecting foreigners.
He said Gabriel fraudulently impersonated one Mr Dan, a foreign national through the fake account with intent to obtain money from unsuspecting foreign nationals.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened Section 22(3)(a) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act. 2015, and punishable under Section 22(4) of the same Act. (NAN)
