Justice P. I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday sentenced two individuals, Glory Okwor Ebube and Harrison Uzorchukwu Emmanuel, to 30 months’ imprisonment each for internet fraud. The Port Harcourt zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, prosecuted the convicts on separate charges relating to impersonation, advance fee fraud, and obtaining money under false pretence.
Ebube was found guilty of posing as American celebrity Kim Kardashian on Telegram to defraud victims of $2,000. According to the charge, the offence was committed in February 2024 and contravenes Section 1(2)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Emmanuel, meanwhile, defrauded a victim identified as Deborah Teaque of $1,000 in March 2025, using a fictitious bitcoin investment scheme.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges. Prosecution counsels N. A. Dodo and M. Abubakar presented evidence against them, while defence lawyers G. M. Chukwu and Dozie Munakwe appealed for leniency, citing their clients’ status as first-time offenders.
Justice Ajoku sentenced each convict to 30 months at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre or, alternatively, to pay a fine of N200,000 into the federal government’s Consolidated Revenue Account.
In addition, the court ordered the forfeiture of a Toyota Corolla Camry, an iPhone 15 Pro, and an iPhone 16—recovered at the time of arrest—to the federal government. The convicts also submitted affidavits of good behaviour as part of the judgment conditions.
Their arrests followed credible intelligence in April 2025 that uncovered their involvement in online fraudulent activities.
