A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice A. T. Mohammed, has sentenced Henry Nathaniel Ekanem, a final-year student at the University of Port Harcourt, to 14 years in prison on charges of internet fraud.
Ekanem was convicted on October 30, 2024, following his arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on seven counts of obtaining money under false pretenses and impersonation.
One of the charges detailed how Ekanem, on September 17, 2024, fraudulently obtained $22 from Diana Roskov by posing as Coran Capsha, the manager of singer Chris Stapleton. This act violated provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act 2006. Ekanem pleaded guilty to all charges, leading prosecution counsel A. Abubakar to present evidence, which the court accepted.
The defense counsel, F. T. Fred-Boufini, requested leniency, emphasizing Ekanem’s status as a first-time offender. Justice Mohammed imposed a two-year sentence on each of the seven counts, with the option to pay a fine of ₦200,000 to the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Account. The judge also ordered the forfeiture of all devices recovered from Ekanem to the government, and required him to swear an affidavit of good behavior before the court.
Ekanem’s sentencing follows his arrest by the EFCC in September 2024 for internet fraud, during which he impersonated Capsha through social media platforms to deceive victims, including Roskov.
