Metro
University Of Port Harcourt Final-Year Student Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison For Internet Fraud
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A final-year student of the University of Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem has been convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison for internet fraud.
Nathaniel was jailed on Wednesday, by Justice A. T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
The development follows his arraignment by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on seven counts bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Henry Nathaniel Ekanem on or about 17th September, 2024, at Choba in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of Twenty Two United states of America dollars ($22) from Diana Roskov by fraudulently representing yourself as Coran Capsha, manager of the singer, Chris Stapleton, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud- Related Offences Act 2006.”
He pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him.
In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, A. Abubakar called witnesses, tendered some documents as evidence which were admitted by the court and marked as exhibits. He thereafter prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
F. T. Fred-Boufini, counsel for the defendant did not oppose the prayers by the prosecution. However, she prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stressing that the defendant was a first-time offender with no previous criminal records.
However, Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on each of the seven counts or an option of fine of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000) payable into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judge also ordered that all the phones recovered from the convict be forfeited to the government, being proceeds of crime.
The convict shall also depose an affidavit of good behaviour before the court.
Ekanem was arrested by operatives of the Commission sometime in September 2024 at Choba, Port Harcourt, for internet fraud and other fraud-related activities.
The convict successfully defrauded one Diana Roskov, among others, by fraudulently representing himself as Coran Capsha, manager of the singer, Chris Stapleton, through WhatsApp and Instagram chats, according to Dele Oyewale, EFCC Head of Media & Publicity.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani, has ordered a statewide clampdown on vehicles plying Lagos roads without number plates or with concealed registration marks, warning that offenders would be arrested and their vehicles impounded with immediate effect.
The directive, according to Fatai, formed part of measures to strengthen security architecture and prevent criminal elements from infiltrating the state through unregistered vehicles.
The CP gave the order during a strategic meeting with Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, DPOs, and Commanders of Tactical Units at the Officers’ Mess, Ikeja, yesterday.
He briefed the officers on resolutions from a recent conference with the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, and outlined new security measures to tighten security across Lagos.
According to Tijani, “The Inspector-General of Police emphasised the need to ensure that all vehicles plying the roads in the country have their plate numbers on them. On no occasion should anybody put a vehicle on the road without a plate number or with a covered plate number. If anybody is found driving such a vehicle, that vehicle will have to be impounded.
He observed that “Most of the vehicles being used by these criminals are either not registered at all or have their plate numbers covered. Apart from those genuinely permitted by law to cover their plate numbers, there are no other exceptions”.
CP Tijani also directed all DPOs to intensify community policing and intelligence gathering at the grassroots, stressing that effective security requires active collaboration between the police and residents.
He further disclosed that the command would sustain joint patrols and intelligence-sharing with other security agencies, particularly in border communities and along waterways, to forestall the movement of criminal elements into Lagos.
Assuring residents of the command’s readiness to tackle emerging threats, Tijani said , “ Lagos Police Command had maintained a strong intelligence network and would continue working closely with transport unions, community leaders and other stakeholders to keep the state safe. Our goal is to ensure that Lagos remains secure and that criminal elements find no space to operate.
Suspected gunmen have abducted a cleric with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), identified as Pastor Gbenga Sanny, in Ondo State.
It was gathered that Sanny was seized by three gunmen on Sunday evening in the presence of his children.
Sources who confirmed the abduction to The Nation on Monday said the incident occurred at about 7.00 p.m in front of his residence located at Ilu-Abo community in Akure North Local Government.
Sanny, who is also a staff of the Akure North Local Government Area of the state, was taken to an unknown destination by the attackers.
His wife reportedly escaped the attack.
“The three armed men reportedly came out of the nearby bush and whisked him away,” one of the sources revealed.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the police command, Jimoh Abayomi said investigation has been launched into the abduction case.
He stated that officers and tactical teams of the command have already been mobilised to the area and working to secure the safe rescue of the victim and apprehend those responsible for the crime.
A man was carried away by floodwaters at Christian Village in the Greater Accra Region on June 7, 2026, during a heavy downpour.
The victim, a father of four, reportedly slipped into a gutter while helping colleagues desilt it, and despite rescue efforts, the strong current swept him away.
Recounting the incident in a video shared by Ask Media on social media on June 8, 2026, eyewitnesses said the incident occurred while the victim and three others were clearing a heavily clogged drainage system to improve water flow during the rains.
The area is known to flood whenever there is heavy rainfall, prompting residents to regularly engage in desilting exercises.
One eyewitness said the victim lost his footing during the exercise and fell.
“He slipped and fell into the river while we were removing debris. I tried to hold him by his collar, but I couldn’t keep hold of him. The current was too strong,” the eye witness recounted.
Despite immediate attempts to rescue him, he was swept away by the raging floodwaters and has since gone missing.
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