Edo Court Jails Man For Fraud

The Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, secured the conviction of Samuel Akove Adavize before Justice E.G. Adekambi of the Edo State High Court, sitting in Benin City. Adavize was arraigned on a two-count charge of impersonation, obtaining by false pretence and possession of fraudulent documents. The EFCC said he impersonated the identity and business name of Chidi Mike Anyanwu, Managing Director of Chidi Mike Cars, to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

Justice Adekambi convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment after finding him guilty on the charges. The court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, establishing that the convict used false identity and fraudulent documents to obtain money from his victims under false pretence. The conviction marks another success for the EFCC’s sustained campaign against impersonation and internet-related fraud in the Benin Zone.

Aside from the prison sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000), being proceeds of crime, and an iPhone 12, being an instrument of crime recovered from the convict, to the Federal Government of Nigeria. The court further ordered that his Opay account and Sparkle MFB account be permanently closed, to prevent further use of the accounts for fraudulent activities.

The EFCC reiterated its commitment to purging Nigeria of economic and financial crimes, urging young people to steer clear of fraud and channel their energies into legitimate ventures. The commission said it will continue to investigate, prosecute and secure convictions against persons involved in impersonation, obtaining by false pretence and other forms of financial crime across the country.