The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has secured the conviction and sentence of Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley for acquiring $205,238 from an American, Nicole Kierulff Sayers, below false pretence.
Justice U.P. Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Prime Courtroom, Maitama, Abuja, convicted Kingsley on Thursday, October 29, 2026, and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment on every of the 2 counts, with out an possibility of excellent.
The sentences are to run at the same time as at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
The courtroom additionally ordered Kingsley to restitute the sufferer the sum of $205,238 (Two Hundred and 5 Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirty-8 United States Greenbacks).
Kingsley was once prosecuted by way of the EFCC on a two-count amended fee bordering on ownership of a file containing false pretence and acquiring cash by way of false pretence in reference to a purported contract with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
Some of the fees accused him of being in ownership of a pretend realize of intent to award a freelance, allegedly issued in his title by way of the Ministry. The second one rely accused him of acquiring $205,238 from Sayers below the false pretence that the cash was once required to finance a central authority contract, figuring out that the declare was once false.
Whilst attesting sooner than the courtroom, Sayers, an American legal professional primarily based within the state of Oregon, United States, recognized Kingsley as the person who contacted her on Fb on her birthday.
“I do know the defendant. The defendant messaged me on Fb on my birthday and he mentioned he was once a member of the similar non secular group as me,” she advised the courtroom.
Consistent with her, their conversations evolved right into a romantic dating, which she mentioned made her consider him and consider his claims.
Sayers advised the courtroom that Kingsley therefore requested her for cash to facilitate the award of a freelance by way of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. He allegedly claimed that some males have been threatening his lifestyles as a result of he had no longer supplied the cash required to safe the contract.
She mentioned Kingsley equipped her with main points of the purported contract, together with a symbol and different knowledge, which she believed as a result of she had evolved an emotional attachment to him.
The witness additional testified that Kingsley first of all asked $15,000, promising to pay off the cash inside 45 days. She transferred the cash to him via a cash switch software.
Consistent with Sayers, Kingsley therefore presented her to participants of his circle of relatives right through a video name, right through which they allegedly thanked her for serving to him safe the purported contract.
She advised the courtroom that she had transferred roughly $40,000 to Kingsley sooner than travelling to Nigeria to satisfy him in individual.
Sayers mentioned she arrived in Abuja March 2022 and spent two weeks with the defendant at his rented area in Solar Town, Abuja. She claimed that she persisted the connection as a result of she sought after to get better her cash.
The witness additional alleged that Kingsley therefore asked further budget for quite a lot of functions, together with clinical emergencies, surgical procedures, malaria remedy and provides for the purported govt contract.
She advised the courtroom that the requests concerned greater than 125 transactions and that the full quantity she transferred was once, by way of her estimate, neatly over $200,000 inside a 12-month duration.
Sayers additionally testified that Kingsley introduced her with a file he claimed was once evidence that he had tried to switch $10,000 to her.
Consistent with her, he claimed that the financial institution had intercepted the transaction for the reason that cash was once allegedly related to the misappropriation of presidency budget, which he mentioned had led to his arrest and detention.
She additional alleged that Kingsley requested her to offer cash for his bail and for bribes hooked up to the purported legal case.
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Sayers advised the courtroom that she again and again requested Kingsley to refund her cash. Consistent with her, he in the end asked her financial institution main points and promised to switch the cash day after today, however failed to take action.
She mentioned she later realised that he would no longer pay off the cash.
On the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, suggest for the EFCC, Fatsuma Muhammad, instructed the courtroom to convict and sentence the defendant based on the legislation.
In his judgment, Justice Kekemeke discovered Kingsley in charge and sentenced him to imprisonment with out an possibility of excellent, with the phrases of imprisonment to run at the same time as.
Dele Oyewale, mnipr, fcipdm
Head, Media & Exposure
October 29, 2026
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