Fraudsters Bag 8 Years Jail Term For Impersonation, Fraud

Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced one Tobor Godspower to eight years imprisonment for impersonation and fraud.

Justice Aluko jailed Godspower after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of fraudulent impersonation and possession of fraudulent documents brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC counsel, Suleiman Suleiman, had earlier told the judge that the convict was arrested for fraudulently impersonating one ‘Stephen Townsend’, purporting to be a military man stationed in Syria and defrauding some innocent victims in the process.

Based on the convict’s guilty plea, Suleiman tendered his statements dated October 28 and 30, 2024, and November 1, 4, and 6, 2024.

The prosecutor also tendered a Toshiba laptop computer, an iPhone 13 Pro Max, an iPhone 11 Pro Max, a Casio wristwatch, fraudulent documents printed from the convict’s device, and $300 in restitution to his victims.

Suleiman then urged the court to convict him as charged and sentence him accordingly.

He also asked the court to forfeit the exhibits recovered from the convict to the federal government of Nigeria.

Justice Aluko, in his judgment, granted both requests; however, he also imposed an option of a N600,000 fine on the convict on each count due to his lawyer’s plea.

Count one reads, “That you, Tobor Efeturi Godspower, on or about the 24th day of October 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one ‘Stephen Townsend’, purporting to be a military man stationed in Syria, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.