EXTRA: Court sentences ‘cyber babalawo’ to three months in prison for fraud

The federal capital territory (FCT) high court has sentenced one Shedrack Greeson to three months in prison for fraud.

His sentence was disclosed in a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday.

The commission said Greeson was arrested in January 2021 for defrauding people on social media, while posing as a spiritualist.

He was then arraigned by the court on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.

According to the EFCC, Greeson pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to three months in prison, with an option of N50,000 fine.

“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abuja Zonal Office on Monday, March 22, 2021, secured the conviction of Shedrack Luke Greeson A.K.A Ifaokurola Babalawo, before Justice Musa Usman of the federal capital territory high court, Bwari, Abuja,” the statement reads.

“The convict was arrested sometime in January 2021 by operatives of the commission for defrauding people on social media while posing as a spiritualist. He was arraigned on March 22, 2021 on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence.

“Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Shedrack Luke Greeson (alias Ifaokurola Babalawo), sometime in 2020, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while pretending to be one Ifaokurola Babalawo a spiritual healer, Ifa Priest, via Instagram account cheated by inducing one Austin Brown from California U.S.A to deliver to you the sum of N230,000.00 (two hundred and thirty thousand naira) only, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 320(b) and punishable under section 322 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federation (Abuja) 1990”.

“He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge, based on a plea bargain agreement with the Commission. Consequently, Justice Usman sentenced him to 3 months in prison with an option of fine of fifty thousand naira (N50,000.00).”