Man put behind bars for defrauding American $50

A Federal High Court located in the Jabi area of Abuja has sentenced Danji-Fari Ubadallah to two months behind bars for defrauding an American $50.

This was made known in a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday that the convict was arraigned on a count bordering on Internet fraud.

The statement noted that the defendant cheated the American by impersonating one Precious Rashel on Facebook.

The count read, “That you, Danji-Fari Ubadallah, sometime in 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court cheated by personation when you created a Facebook account with the profile name Precious Rashel, a United States of America citizen and under that assumed character obtained the sum of $50.00 from his victim, one Rueben GI, through a gift card and traded same with one Zhang Jie, a Chinese citizen and received the naira equivalent in your Opay account number 8100877271 under the false pretence that you are in a romantic relationship with him, a fact you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law.”

It added that the defendant pleaded guilty to the offence when read to him, and upon his guilty plea, Justice A.I. Kutigi of the FCT High Court, Jabi Abuja, convicted and sentenced him to two months imprisonment.

The judge also gave him an option of a N90,000 fine.

“When the charge was read to him, he pleaded guilty to it, prompting prosecution counsel, S.N. Robert, to pray the judge to convict and sentence him.

“Justice Kutigi convicted and sentenced Ubadallah to two months in the correctional centre with an option of a N90,000 fine.

“The judge also ordered that the iPhone which was used to perpetrate the crime be forfeited to the Federal Government,” the statement concluded.

It was recalled that the EFCC had on April 19 disclosed that a total of 23 Internet fraudsters were convicted and sentenced to varying jail terms by the Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City between April 11 and 17, 2025.

The convicted individuals were: Uzorchukwu Peace Udoka, Erubasa Oghenetega, David Ogwunu, Jude Okolie, Lucky Ehizojie, Chineye Isioma Christian, Obadiunor Josoph Ikechukwu, Ugochukwu Adingwu, Ifeanyi Okechukwu, Patrick Chinedu Chukwujekwe, Ugboh Chibuzor, Monday Shedrack, Udochukwu Onuka, Uzodion Luke, and Ehighola Emmanuel Akhere.

Others included; Godstime Osunde Oskpolor, Promise Onyugboh, Onuka Patrick, Chinonso Peter Iwuchukwu, Ajayi Aisosa, Aiwansoba Prince, Goddey Jeremiah, and Ojimah John Oseni.