A Federal High Court and a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt have sentenced three men to a combined 90 months in prison for online fraud and impersonation.
The fraudsters — Rex Akah Kinikachi Kelvin, Kennedy Chinedu Eleyi-Waltar, and Chris Orji — were charged by the Port Harcourt office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Each man faced a separate one-count charge related to scamming people by pretending to be someone they’re not.
One of the cases involved Rex Kelvin, who posed as an American fashion model on Telegram and tricked a woman, Denise D. Moore, into sending him $500. According to the EFCC, he carried out the scam in February 2024, knowingly using a false identity to deceive his victim.
All three men pleaded guilty when they appeared before the courts. Justices P. I. Ajoku and S. D. Pam handed down 30-month prison sentences to each of them, but also offered an alternative: a fine of N200,000.
In addition to jail time and fines, the courts ordered that items recovered from the scammers be forfeited to the government. These included two Samsung phones, several other mobile devices, and a Toyota Highlander SUV.
The courts also required each convict to swear an affidavit pledging to exhibit good behaviour moving forward.
According to the EFCC, the trio was arrested during a sting operation in March 2025 at different locations in Port Harcourt.
