The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has successfully prosecuted a final-year undergraduate student from the University of Port Harcourt named Henry Nathaniel Ekanem. Ekanem has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for engaging in internet fraud. The conviction was handed down by Justice A.T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The charges against Ekanem included obtaining money under false pretenses and impersonation. He was found guilty of defrauding individuals, including Diana Roskov, by pretending to be Coran Capshaw, the manager of singer Chris Stapleton, through interactions on WhatsApp and Instagram.
Ekanem pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him. The prosecution presented witnesses and evidence, leading to Ekanem’s conviction. The defendant was sentenced to two years in prison for each of the seven counts, with an option to pay a fine of N200,000 per count into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Furthermore, the court ordered the forfeiture of all mobile phones recovered from Ekanem to the government, as they were deemed proceeds of crime. Ekanem is also required to provide an affidavit of good behavior to the court.
Ekanem was arrested by EFCC operatives in September 2024 in Choba, Port Harcourt, for his involvement in internet fraud and related activities.