By Nkechi Eze
A Kaduna State High Court has sentenced Faruk Suleiman Ololade, also known as Caesar Smith, to three years imprisonment for fraud after he impersonated an Australian national online to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
Justice Jaafaru Zubairu delivered the judgment following Ololade’s guilty plea to a one-count charge of impersonation, brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its Kaduna Zonal Directorate.
In an official signed statement, the commission’s spokesperson Dele Oyewale disclosed that the charge stated that on February 12, 2026, in Kaduna, Ololade impersonated Mr. Caesar Smith via the Facebook platform, attempting to defraud the public. This act contravened Section 142(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017.
Prosecution counsel, Moses Arumemi, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant in line with the law. Consequently, Justice Zubairu sentenced Ololade to three years imprisonment or the option of paying a fine of ₦300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira).
Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of Ololade’s Redmi 15C mobile phone, with IMEI 865422074373745, used in the commission of the crime, to the federal government.
The convict was apprehended following actionable intelligence on internet fraud activities in the Turaki Signboard area of Agwa, Kaduna State. The case underscores the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to curb cybercrime and protect the public from online scams.
