Fraud: EFCC Secures Conviction Of “Young Billionaire” In Abuja
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has secured the conviction of one Chima Hyginus Nkwocha, a.k.a “Young Billionaire,” for cheating by impersonation and money laundering.
A statement on Wednesday by the anti-graft agency’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, says Nkwocha was jailed on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, having been arraigned before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on a two-count charge bordering on cheating by impersonation and money laundering.
According to one of the counts, One of the counts Nkwocha, sometime in 2022, fraudulently impersonated Frank Nils, Frank Cobert, Frank Brown and Chiress Riffatt, on Gmail and Google Voice using the Gmail addresses frankcorbett272@gmail.com and chriressrifatt@gmail.com and obtainer a cumulative sum of Three Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand Dollars ($345,000) from Linda Wheeler, an American.
The naira equivalent of the said sum was received through Ginux Global Nigeria Limited with account No. 1228782493 domiciled in Zenith Bank, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22(2) of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(4) of the Act.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him.
Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, Lanre Adeola Olariwaju, reviewed the case against Nkwocha and prayed the court to convict him accordingly.
According to Olariwaju, the convict was arrested in August 2024 at the Lugbe area of Abuja following an intelligence received by the EFCC’s Advanced Fee Fraud Section.
Items recovered during his arrest included a black Mercedes Benz ML 350 with registration no. B-2 and Chassis no. 4JGDA5HB9DA105827, two gold necklaces with pendants, one gold bracelet, $2,200 cash, N90,280,934.00 in the Ginux Global Nigeria Ltd Zenith Bank (account no. 1228782493), for which Nkwocha was the sole signatory.
Other exhibits recovered include a three-bedroom terrace duplex at Cookies Court 2, 2nd Avenue, Ocean Palm Estate, Ogombo, Sangotedo, Ajah, Lagos; a three-bedroom bungalow and two self-contained apartments situated on Plot B023, Standard Estate, Galadima, Abuja; a plot of land measuring about 300 square meters at Eko Beach City, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; two Zenith Bank drafts worth N5,000,000 and N3,000,000, dated September 12, 2024, and October 17, 2024, respectively; an iPhone 13 Pro Max, a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Olariwaju tendered several pieces of evidence, including the defendant’s extrajudicial statements, electronic devices, forensic investigation reports, among others. The defence raised no objections and the court admitted all evidence as exhibits.
Justice Nwite, satisfied with the EFCC’s submissions, found Nkwocha guilty. The court sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment with an option of a fine of N2,000,000.
Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of the following items, being proceeds of crime, to the Federal Government of Nigeria: a black Mercedes Benz ML 350, gold jewelry and $2,200 cash, N90,280,934.00 in the Ginux Global Nigeria Ltd Zenith Bank account, properties in Lagos, Abuja, and Lekki, the Zenith Bank drafts and the electronic devices recovered from the convict.
