Lagos Court Sentences Fraudster to 42 Years in Prison

On October 12, 2023, Ndidi Joshua Bobbi was sentenced to 42 years in prison by Justice Olubunmi Abik-Fadip at the Ikeja special offences court for his involvement in an internet fraud scheme that defrauded a victim of €80,000. Bobbi was first arraigned on December 2021 on two counts, which were later amended to six counts by the prosecution, led by Okoti Eboh from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The charges included advance fee fraud and related offenses under the Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006. The court established that Bobbi, in 2020, intended to defraud the victim by falsely representing himself and possessing fraudulent documents.

Despite pleading not guilty, the prosecution presented two witnesses and several documents to support their case. Bobbi's application for a no-case submission was dismissed, and he was ultimately convicted.

The court ordered the forfeiture of items recovered from him to the federal government.