The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced Kelechi Declan James to three years’ imprisonment for impersonation, following his guilty plea to a charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Daniel Osiagor handed down the sentence on Friday, October 9, 2026, after convicting James on a one-count charge filed by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1.
The charge alleged that James, on or about September 9, 2026, fraudulently impersonated an individual identified as David Hernandez through his Facebook account, with the intention of gaining an advantage for himself.
The offence was said to contravene Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
According to the EFCC, the case originated from a petition alleging that the defendant approached the petitioner in December 2024, claiming to have Nigerian business partners who required foreign exchange services.
The petitioner alleged that James persuaded him to source and transfer $135,000, equivalent to ₦201,165,843.50 at the time, into an account nominated by the defendant.
The petitioner further alleged that although James acknowledged receiving the funds, he failed to remit the agreed naira equivalent or refund the dollars.
Efforts to recover the money reportedly proved unsuccessful, prompting the petitioner to seek the intervention of the anti-graft agency.
When the charge was read to him in court, James pleaded guilty.
Prosecuting counsel, S. I. Suleiman, presented the facts of the case and urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
Justice Osiagor subsequently sentenced James to three years’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦300,000 fine.
The court also ordered him to undertake three days of community service in connection with the sentence.
Add to Bookmark
The post Court Jails Man Three Years for Impersonation in Lagos appeared first on News Xposure.