Lagos: Graduate bags two years in prison for $53,000 fraud, impersonation

By Adeyanju Esther

The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, Justice Dehinde I. Dipeolu delivered a decisive verdict against Ikpaka Courage, a graduate of Philosophy.

Courage had been convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for impersonating the renowned Nigerian singer, Chinedu Okoli, popularly known as Flavour, in a $53,000 scam.

This statement was made known on Wednesday by the Head of media and publicity, Dele Oyewale.

The Lagos Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Courage to court on Tuesday, on charges related to cybercrime and money laundering.

The case was initiated after Courage was accused of duping Mrs. Yvette M. Thompson, a citizen of the United States, by pretending to be Flavour.

“The first charge against Courage, detailed that in April 2021, he falsely represented himself as Flavour on his Telegram account, intending to deceive Mrs. Thompson into believing that he would perform at her birthday celebration in Washington DC. This false representation was aimed at obtaining financial gain.

“The second charge alleged that Courage had unlawfully retained $53,000 in his Access Bank account, knowing it was part of the proceeds from his fraudulent activities. The funds were obtained through a deceitful scheme that involved impersonation and financial manipulation.”