Court jails man for $30,000 investment fraud in Lagos

<p>Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has convicted and sentenced one Gabriel Ohaohakara to one-year imprisonment for $30,000 crypto investment fraud.</p>, <p>Ohaohakara was said to have perpetrated the scam by creating a fake investment and a telegram channel for the same purpose.</p>, <p>He was jailed on Thursday, October 12, 2023, after pleading guilty to a one-count charge bordering on cryptocurrency fraud, upon being arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.</p>, <p>The charge reads: “That you, IHEOHAKARA GABRIEL, on or about the 24th November 2022 in Lagos, within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, had in your possession a document containing “Crypto Currency Fraud Activity” and other related documents for an online fraudulent activity which you knew to be false.”</p>, <p>The offence is contrary to Sections 6, 8 (b) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud</p>, <p>He pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.</p>, <p>Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, Akhanolu Ikhuoria Godsent, prayed the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.</p>, <p>Delivering judgment on Thursday, October 12, 2023, Justice Abike-Fadipe convicted him and sentenced him to one-year imprisonment, with an option of a fine of N1,000,000 (One Million Naira only) and 1000 hours of community service.</p>, <p>The judge also ordered that the iPhone 13 pro max recovered from him be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria, while the sum of $30000 be restituted to the victim.</p>