Justice Ismail Ijelu of Ikeja High Court has sentenced Hussein David Fortune, a 23-year-old National Diploma (ND) holder from Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), to six months’ imprisonment for engaging in online fraud.

At the time of his arrest, Fortune was found in possession of two Apple iPhone 15 devices, a MacBook laptop, a smartwatch, and an AirPod. The smartwatch and AirPod were returned to him as they were of no use to the prosecution.

A forensic examination revealed that he operated a Google account under the identity of “Kimberly Lugard,” which he used to carry out online dating scams. Through this scheme, he successfully extorted the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand United States dollars ($150,000).

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges and apologized for his actions, stating that he had already begun to experience the consequences of his crime.

In the ruling, the court sentenced Fortune to six months’ imprisonment with an option of paying a fine of ₦500,000. His Apple iPhones and MacBook were ordered to be forfeited, and he was directed to write an undertaking with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to be of good behavior henceforth.