April 11, 2022

Justice Y. Halilu of the FCT High Court, Maitama, on April 11, 2022 convicted and sentenced one Izoduwa Osemwegie, to two months in prison for Bitcoin-related fraud.

The 20-year-old student pleaded guilty to one count criminal charge preferred against him by the Abuja Zonal Command of EFCC.

Osemwegie sometime in 2021 at Abuja, cheated by impersonation when he created an Instagram account with the account name Steven McLean posing as a legitimate trader from Canada, and under the assumed character obtained the sum of €150 (One Hundred and Fifty Euros) from Huseyin, a Briton and €400 (Four Hundred Euros) from Jonathan, a Turkish citizen under the pretext that he is a legitimate Bitcoin trader, a fact he knew to be false.

By that he was deemed to have committed an offense contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Law (Cap. 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria) and punishable under Section 324 of the same Law. He pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against him.

Based on his guilty plea, prosecution counsel Nguper Martha Tertsua prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.