By Nkechi Eze
The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced a man, Kelechi Declan James, to three years’ imprisonment for impersonating a person identified as David Hernandez on Facebook to gain an advantage for himself.
Justice Daniel Osiagor handed down the sentence on Friday, October 9, 2026, following James’s guilty plea to a one-count charge of impersonation brought against him by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to an official statement signed by the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the charge alleged that James, on or about September 9, 2026, in Lagos, fraudulently presented himself as David Hernandez on his Facebook account with the intent to gain an advantage for himself.
The offence was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
The Commission said the case followed a petition alleging that the defendant approached the petitioner in December 2024, claiming to have Nigerian business partners who required foreign currency exchange services.
James allegedly persuaded the petitioner to source and transfer $135,000, equivalent to ₦201,165,843.50, into an account he nominated.
The petitioner further alleged that although James acknowledged receiving the funds, he failed to remit the agreed naira equivalent or refund the dollars despite repeated efforts to recover the money.
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 in accordance with the law.
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.
