By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced Kelechi Declan James to three years’ imprisonment for impersonating a foreign national on Facebook in a case involving an alleged $135,000 foreign exchange fraud.
Justice Daniel Osiagor handed down the sentence on Friday, October 9, 2026, after James pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of impersonation filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the charge, James, on or about September 9, 2026, fraudulently impersonated a person identified as “David Hernandez” on Facebook to gain an advantage for himself.
The offence was said to be contrary to Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
The EFCC said the case stemmed from a petition alleging that James approached the petitioner in December 2024, claiming to have Nigerian business partners who required foreign exchange services.
The petitioner alleged that he was persuaded to source and transfer $135,000, equivalent to ₦201,165,843.50, into an account nominated by the defendant.
Although James reportedly acknowledged receipt of the funds, he allegedly failed to remit the agreed naira equivalent or refund the dollars. Efforts to recover the money were unsuccessful, prompting the petitioner to seek the EFCC’s intervention.
Following James’s guilty plea, prosecuting counsel, S. I. Suleiman, presented the facts of the case and urged the court to convict and sentence him.
Justice Osiagor subsequently sentenced James to three years’ imprisonment, with an option of a ₦300,000 fine. The court also ordered him to perform three days of community service.