Court Jails Internet Fraudster in Lagos
The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has successfully secured the conviction and sentencing of Chika Stanley Okoh for internet fraud. He was convicted before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Okoh was arraigned in December 2024 on a one-count charge related to cybercrime.
The charge reads: “That you, Chika Stanley Okoh, sometime in 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently held out yourself on a Facebook account @ZacharyLevi as Zachary Levi, a male American actor, with the intention to gain an advantage for yourself, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, etc.) Act, 2015.”
Upon being read the charge, Okoh pleaded “guilty.”
Prosecution counsel, B.I. Oluseyi, called an EFCC investigative officer, Damilare Adeosun, to review the facts of the case. Adeosun testified that in November 2024, the EFCC received credible intelligence about internet fraudsters operating in the Lekki area of Lagos. This led to a sting operation, during which Okoh was arrested along with several others. He was taken to the EFCC office, where he voluntarily gave his statement.
Adeosun further revealed that Okoh had misrepresented himself online as a white American man named Jonathan. He also confessed to engaging in middle-man fraud by facilitating fraudulent transactions for other internet fraudsters, earning a percentage from each deal. Okoh admitted to benefiting N2 million from the fraudulent activities, which he used to buy an iPhone 14 Pro Max. The phone was recovered during his arrest, and a forensic analysis revealed fraudulent documents stored on the device.
During the investigation, Okoh provided a manager’s cheque for N1 million as restitution.
The prosecution presented Okoh’s confessional statement, the recovered phone, forensic findings, and the manager’s cheque as evidence, with no objections from defense counsel, Peter Taiwo.
Justice Aneke, in his judgment, ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted Okoh accordingly.
He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment or a fine of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira), which must be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federation. Additionally, Okoh was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
