The Federal High Court in Lagos has jailed one Courage Ipaka to two years imprisonment for impersonating Nigerian musician, Chinedu Okoli, popularly known as Flavour N’abania, and duped a U.S. citizen, Mrs. Yvelte M. Thompson, of $53,000.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu handed down the sentence on Tuesday after Ipaka pleaded guilty to two counts brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The judge also gave Ipaka the option of a N2m, fine and ordered the forfeiture of N7.9 m to the victim.
The EFCC’s Prosecutor Suleiman Suleiman presented evidence through the investigator, Azibagiri Ekpar, who explained how Ipaka executed the fraud.
“Ipaka impersonated Flavour by claiming he would organise shows in the United States and received payments through his Bitcoin wallets,” Ekpar said.
Ekpar further revealed that the EFCC uncovered the scam after receiving a petition from one Eyitayo Abiodun and others on behalf of Mrs Thompson.
“We invited Flavour, who came forward and denied any involvement in the allegations. Our investigation led us to Benin City, where we found that Ipaka Courage was the real culprit,” Ekpar said.
He added, “Ipaka admitted in his statement that he impersonated Flavour and scammed Mrs Thompson of $53,000 in 2021.
“Ipaka said he converted the funds into naira and deposited them into his Access Bank account.
“The sum of N7.9m was recovered from Ipaka’s accounts through the manager’s cheques from Zenith and Access banks,” the witness said.
Justice Dipeolu, after reviewing the evidence, sentenced Ipaka to two years imprisonment with the option of a fine.
The judge also ordered the forfeiture of N7.9m, to Mrs. Thompson, compensating her for the financial loss.
Earlier, the convict, Ipaka, was arraigned on two counts bordering on false statements and obtaining of financial instrument preferred against him by the EFCC.
The prosecutor, Suleiman, told the court that the convict committed the offences sometime in April 2024.
He said Ipaka directly made a false statement where he impersonated that he was a Nigerian entertainer by the name “Chinedu Okoli a.k.a. Flavour N’abania” on his Telegram account, knowing the same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon to procure the issuance of financial instruments to himself.
Suleiman also told the court that the convict retained the sum of $53,000 in his Access Bank Plc account number 0108866415, the sum he reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of his unlawful activity and dishonest conversion of the said sum, property of one Mrs. Yvelte M. Thompson
According to him, the offences committed contravened Sections 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention etc} Act, 2015 and Sections 18(2)(G), 18 {3} of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
However, Ipaka pleaded guilty to the charge and was subsequently sentenced.
