KADUNA, Nigeria — The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of TikTok music celebrity Crown Uzama, along with five others, before Justice A. Isiaka, on charges of criminal impersonation.
The charges are offenses contrary to Sections 142 (1), 57, and 308 of the Kaduna Penal Code Law, 2017, and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.
Crown Uzama, who is also known as Shalli Popi and Miller Maxwell, was convicted alongside Joel Kator (aka Alfred Hudson), Abdul-Azeez Suleiman Temidayo (aka Miss Katie Official), Favour Chidiogo Emmanuel (aka Kate Banks), John Joseph (aka Avail Hollywood), and Bethel Makuochukwu (aka Violetqmartinez). Notably, Makuochukwu had been convicted for money laundering two weeks prior to this case.
All six defendants pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.
The prosecuting counsel, consisting of M.E Eimonye, M. Arumeni, M.U Gadaka, and K.S Ogunlade, urged the court to proceed with their conviction.
Justice Isiaka on Friday, June 23, 2023, handed down a sentence of two years imprisonment to each defendant, with the option of paying fines instead of serving jail time.
Furthermore, the court ordered the forfeiture of all electronic gadgets, furniture, and other items seized from the defendants during the investigation, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The EFCC arrested the defendants at various locations in Kaduna following intelligence reports received by the Command.
The investigation revealed that they had impersonated foreign nationals and utilized these false identities to defraud unsuspecting victims.
This conviction represents a significant victory for the EFCC in its ongoing efforts to combat cybercrime and other fraudulent activities in Nigeria.
