Cybercrime: Police Dock Man Over Identity Theft, ₦1.6m, $5,000 Scam

ByNewsmakers

Feb 9, 2026 #$5, #₦1.6 million fraud case, #000 cyber fraud Nigeria, #Cybercrime Act 2015 Nigeria, #cybercrime in Nigeria, #Facebook scam Nigeria, #Federal High Court Lagos cybercrime, #ForceCID Alagbon, #identity theft Nigeria, #online impersonation fraud, #police arraign cyber fraud suspect

Matilda Omonaiye/

Operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID), Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos, have arraigned one Essien Emmanuel Akpama before the Federal High Court over alleged identity theft, impersonation, and cyber-enabled fraud committed through social media platforms.

Akpama was brought before the court presided over by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa on charges filed by Barrister Morufu Ajani Animashaun of the ForceCID Legal/Prosecution Department. The charge, marked FHC/L/186c/2026, alleges that the offences were committed sometime in 2025 at the local wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

According to the prosecution, the defendant allegedly impersonated two Brazilian nationals, Jose Carlos and Joseph Belotti, using a Facebook account to defraud a victim identified as Linda Schnur. He allegedly fraudulently obtained high-end electronic devices and cash, including a MacBook Pro 14 laptop, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, two Google Pixel 10 Pro XI phones, one Google Pixel 10 Pro phone, ₦1.6 million in cash, as well as $5,000.

The prosecution told the court that the alleged acts contravene Section 484 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and Section 14 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.

Akpama, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Following his plea, the prosecution requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the determination of the case.

Defence counsel, in response, appealed to the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms, assuring that his client would not abscond. After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Lewis-Allagoa admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of ₦2 million, with a surety in like sum.

The court ordered that the surety must either be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction or a Grade Level 14 officer in a government establishment.

Pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions, the judge directed that the defendant be remanded in NCoS custody and adjourned the matter to March 27 for trial.