The Sokoto Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC today Friday, July 23, 2021 secured the conviction and sentencing of one Joseph Oladapo Philips to 10 years imprisonment for $18,700 Internet fraud before Justice Mohammed Sifawa of the Sokoto State High Court.

Philips who is an undergraduate of the Sokoto State University was prosecuted for dishonestly representing himself as an American soldier serving in Afghanistan and obtaining the said sum by false pretence.

The one count charge against him reads: “That you Joseph Oladapo Philips “male” sometime in 2021 at Sokoto within the judicial division of the High Court of Sokoto State, did fraudulently cheat one Lisa Farley from North Carolina and Joey Jaitrong by dishonestly deceiving them to collect the total sum of $18,700 when you presented yourself to them as a United States soldier deployed to Afghanistan and sending documents of false pretence to them via your Instagram platform which you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 310 of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 311 of the same Law”.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.

In view of his guilty plea, prosecution counsel S. H. Sa’ad prayed the Court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

Justice Sifawa convicted the defendant and sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment with option of N500, 000.00 fine.

The convict was also ordered to pay the sum of $18,700 United States Dollars as restitution to the victim through the EFCC.