Lagos Court Sentences Man to One Year in Prison for Online Dating Scam

Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced Adenuga Elijah Oluwadamilare to one year in prison for engaging in internet fraud and impersonation.

The conviction was delivered on Friday, May 30, 2025, following Elijah’s guilty plea to a one-count charge of cybercrime, brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 2.

According to the charge, Elijah impersonated a fictional online persona, “Pearl Xavier,” on Google to fraudulently obtain benefits, violating Section 22 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, etc.) Act, 2015.

The EFCC’s counsel, Abdulhamid L. Tukur, presented evidence through EFCC operative Adams Adze, who testified that Elijah was arrested in November 2024 based on intelligence linking him to a cybercrime syndicate operating in Lekki, Lagos.

Upon arrest, Elijah was found in possession of an iPhone 12 Pro Max and an HP laptop, both of which contained digital evidence of the scam. He later confessed to executing a dating scam and admitted receiving $200 from his victim.

Elijah also made a restitut