Lagos Court Jails Man for Operating Fake Instagram Profile, Engaging in Romance Scam

A Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has sentenced Nonso Joseph Ekeocha to one year in prison for possessing fraudulent documents used in a romance scam. The Lagos Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted Ekeocha on charges of engaging in online fraud through a fake Instagram account.

According to the charge, Ekeocha, posing as “Ronald Gregory,” used fraudulent documents and a fake Instagram profile to defraud individuals in a romance scam. The court heard that on June 27, 2024, the defendant was found with these documents, which he knew to be false.

Ekeocha pleaded guilty to the charges and admitted to engaging in fraudulent activities. The prosecution counsel, I.G. Akhanolu, presented Ismail Saifullahi, an EFCC operative, as a witness to reveal the results of the investigation. Saifullahi testified that Ekeocha was arrested on June 29, 2024, alongside others involved in similar scams. During his arrest, an iPhone 12 Pro Max and a Samsung S-10 were recovered, both of which were linked to the scam after forensic analysis.

Saifullahi explained that Ekeocha used the fake profile to send love messages to unsuspecting victims, convincing them to offer financial assistance under false pretenses. The EFCC presented Ekeocha’s extrajudicial statement and the fraudulent documents retrieved from his devices as evidence in court.

In his defense, Ekeocha pleaded for leniency, vowing to abandon online fraud. However, Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe sentenced him to one year in prison. The court gave him the option of a N500,000 fine and ordered him to complete 50 hours of community service. Additionally, the judge ruled that the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Samsung S-10 used in the scam be forfeited to the Nigerian government.