A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday sentenced Courage Ipaka to two years in prison for defrauding a United States citizen, Mrs. Yvelte Thompson, of $53,000 by impersonating Nigerian musician Chinedu Okoli, popularly known as Flavour N’abania.
Justice Dehinde Dipeolu convicted Ipaka after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Earlier, prosecution counsel Suleiman Suleiman presented EFCC investigator Azibagiri Ekpar as a witness against the defendant. The witness testified that Ipaka had impersonated Flavour by promising to organize shows in the United States and receiving payments through his Bitcoin wallets.
Ekpar explained that the EFCC became aware of the fraud after receiving a petition from Eyitayo Abiodun and others on behalf of the victim.
He said: “We invited Flavour, who honoured the invitation and claimed innocence of the allegations. Upon investigation, we discovered that one Ipaka Courage, who lives in Benin City, Edo State, was the perpetrator.
“We invited the defendant, and he admitted in his statement that he impersonated Flavour by obtaining the sum of $53,000 from a woman, who is a United States citizen in 2021.”
“He wired the funds through Bitcoin wallets and converted them in his Access Bank account where he received the value in Naira.
“The sum of N7.9million was recovered from the defendant through Zenith and Access Bank manager’s cheques.”
After the defendant pleaded guilty and the prosecution’s evidence was reviewed, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Ipaka to two years in prison, with an option to pay a fine of N2 million.
The judge also forfeited the sum of N7.9million to Mrs Thompson.
