The Federal High Court in Maiduguri, Borno State has sentenced two men to imprisonment after they were found guilty of internet fraud and money laundering offenses.

Justice H. Dagat delivered the judgment on Thursday, May 29, 2025, following the arraignment of Ijudigal Saleh and Ishaku John Aliyu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Maiduguri Zonal Directorate.

Both defendants pleaded guilty to separate two-count charges related to impersonation and unlawful possession of fraudulently obtained funds.

Details of the Fraud Scheme

According to court records, the convicts perpetrated their crimes through various schemes including lottery scams, gift card frauds, and digital identity theft targeting foreign nationals.

In Saleh's case, he fraudulently obtained $2,000 (approximately N2.5 million) through PayPal and gift card scams. The EFCC prosecutor, Abdulmalik D. Aliyu, told the court that Saleh operated under multiple aliases including "Daniella Lam" and "Dave Suyer" to defraud American victims identified as Dennis, Cynthiana, and Gonzalez.

"Saleh purposely created a false identity and provided victims with fictitious names so that they could build trust with foreign nationals and lure the victims to send the money under false pretence," the prosecutor stated during the proceedings.

Court Judgment

After reviewing the evidence and the guilty plea, Justice Dagat sentenced Saleh to two years imprisonment on each of the two counts, with the sentences to run concurrently.

The judgment comes as part of ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to combat the rising cases of cybercrime and restore the country's international reputation, which has been damaged by internet fraud activities.

The EFCC continues to intensify its crackdown on internet fraudsters across the country, with the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate actively pursuing cases in the northeastern region.