A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced Chubude Christian Okoli to three months in prison after he was found guilty of engaging in internet fraud.
Justice D.I. Dipeolu delivered the judgment on Monday, August 25, 2025, following Okoli’s guilty plea to a one-count charge of cybercrime brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Okoli was arrested on July 13, 2025, during a sting operation at Cruizer Hotel in Ajegunle, Lagos, after EFCC operatives received intelligence on suspected online fraudsters operating from the location.
According to the EFCC, Okoli had posed as “Donald Wallace” using a Gmail account to defraud unsuspecting victims. Investigations revealed that he had received $600 from his illicit activities. A Samsung S23 Ultra phone was recovered from him, and he also refunded ₦300,000 through a manager’s cheque during the investigation process.
During the court proceedings, prosecution counsel I.G. Akhanolu presented evidence of Okoli’s confession to running an online dating scam. His lawyer, K.B. Ijaodola, pleaded for leniency, arguing that he was a first-time offender and asked for a non-custodial sentence.
However, Justice Dipeolu, after weighing the evidence and the defendant’s plea, convicted him and sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦1 million fine. The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the recovered Samsung phone and the refunded ₦300,000 to the Federal Government.
This case adds to the growing list of cybercrime convictions in Lagos, as the EFCC intensifies its clampdown on online fraud.
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