Court sentences Flavour's impersonator to two years for defrauding US citizen

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Nigeria has sentenced Courage Ipaka, an impersonator of popular Nigerian musician Flavour, to two years in prison for defrauding a U.S.-based woman of $53,000.

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led the investigation into Ipaka's activities, following a petition filed by Eyitayo Tolulope Abiodun and other concerned parties on behalf of the victim, Yvelte M. Thompson.

The EFCC's lead investigator, Azibagiri Dan Ekpar, detailed the case in court on Tuesday, outlining how Ipaka posed as Flavour, promising to organise music shows in the United States in exchange for payment.

According to Ekpar, Ipaka received the funds from Thompson through Bitcoin transactions, which were subsequently converted into Naira and deposited into his Access Bank account.

The investigation revealed that Ipaka, who resides in Benin City, Edo State, had successfully orchestrated the scam in 2021, capitalizing on Thompson’s trust.

"The defendant admitted in his statement that he impersonated Flavour, obtaining $53,000 from a woman who is a United States citizen. He wired the funds through Bitcoin wallets and converted them into his Access Bank account where he received the value in Naira," Ekpar stated during the court proceedings.

During the course of the investigation, the EFCC managed to recover N7.9 million from Ipaka through Zenith and Access Bank manager’s cheques, which the court ordered to be forfeited to the victim, Thompson.

In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu, condemned Ipaka's actions and sentenced him to two years imprisonment.

However, the court provided an option for Ipaka to pay a fine of N2 million instead of serving the prison term. Additionally, the recovered N7.9 million will be returned to Thompson as part of the restitution.