Jessica Allen, also known as Praise Humphrey Igbo, was sentenced to one year in prison by a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court for engaging in $115,000 worth of online fraud.
On December 11, 2024, a Wednesday, Justice H.L. Abba-Aliyu delivered the ruling.
Internet crime, criminal impersonation, acquiring money under false pretenses, and money laundering were the one counts on which Igbo was charged.
According to a statement released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, Igbo tricked Aaron Baker, an American victim, by pretending to be a profitable cryptocurrency trader named “Jessica Allen.”
Igbo “fraudulently obtained 5.26 Bitcoins worth One Hundred and Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($115,000) by false pretense,” the court was informed, which is against Section 321 of the Penal Code Act Abuja, Cap 532 LFN 2004 and in violation of Section 324 of the same Act.
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Igbo entered a guilty plea to the charge, which led to M.K. Hussain, the EFCC’s attorney, asking for his conviction and sentencing.
Justice Abba-Aliyu gave Igbo a one-year prison term, with the possibility of a fine of N1 million naira.
Additionally, she decided that the victim should be returned through the American Embassy using the money that was retrieved from Igbo and that was in his bank account.
