Abuja Court Jails Man for $115,000 Internet Fraud

Abuja Court Jails Praise Humphrey Igbo, a.k.a. Jessica Allen for $115,000 Internet Fraud

On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Justice H.L. Abba-Aliyu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Jabi, Abuja, convicted and sentenced Praise Humphrey Igbo, also known as Jessica Allen, to one year of imprisonment for fraudulent activities.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecuted him on a single-count charge related to internet crime, criminal impersonation, obtaining money under false pretences, and money laundering involving a total of $115,000 (One Hundred and Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars).

The charge states: “That you, Praise Humphrey Igbo, sometime in 2022 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with the intent to defraud, did deceive by pretending to be one Jessica Allen, a successful cryptocurrency trader in the United States of America, and in that assumed identity, fraudulently obtained 5.26 Bitcoins valued at One Hundred and Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars ($115,000) from Aaron Baker, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act Abuja, Cap 532 LFN 2004 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act.”

He pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was presented to him, after which the prosecution counsel, M.K. Hussain, requested the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

Justice Abba-Aliyu convicted and sentenced him to one year of imprisonment or a fine of one million naira (N1,000,000).

Additionally, she ordered that the amounts of $16,110 and $67,487.79 in cryptocurrency recovered from him, along with the funds in his bank account, be utilised to compensate his victim through the American Embassy.

Igbo’s incarceration commenced following a complaint from a petitioner, Aaron Bakker, an American from East Baton Rouge Parish, who alleged that an individual impersonating Jessica Allen, a supposed cryptocurrency investor, stole $115,000 worth of Bitcoin from him on Blockchain.com after presenting a fraudulent investment opportunity.

(EFCC)