Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Online Romance Scam
A Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced Nonso Ekeocha to one year in prison for his involvement in an online romance scam.
Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe delivered the sentence after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) successfully proved that Ekeocha possessed fraudulent documents used to carry out the scam.
During the proceedings, the EFCC revealed that Ekeocha created an Instagram profile under the name Ronald Gregory, using it to deceive individuals in an online dating scheme. The agency reported that he committed the offense on June 27, 2024, in Lagos, which violated Section 320 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Ekeocha pleaded guilty to the charges against him. Following his plea, the prosecution, represented by Ikhuoria Akhanolu, presented evidence, including witness testimony from EFCC operative Ismail Saifullahi. He detailed Ekeocha’s arrest on June 29, 2024, alongside other suspects involved in computer-related fraud.
During the arrest, investigators recovered an iPhone 12 Pro Max and a Samsung S-10 from Ekeocha, which were found to contain fraudulent documents following a forensic analysis. The court learned that Ekeocha engaged in scamming by sending unsolicited love messages to potential victims, later asking them for financial support.
The prosecution submitted Ekeocha’s extrajudicial statement and various fraudulent documents as evidence, which were accepted by the court.
Before sentencing, Justice Abike-Fadipe allowed Ekeocha to address the court. He requested leniency and promised to refrain from further internet fraud.
In response, the judge sentenced him to one year in prison but also provided an option to pay a fine of N500,000 and complete 50 hours of com
munity service.
