PORT HARCOURT – A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has sentenced one Miracle Deele to four months imprisonment for internet fraud and impersonation.
Justice E. A. Obile handed down the sentence on Monday, May 26, 2025, after Deele pleaded guilty to a three-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate. The charges centered on advance fee fraud and impersonation.
According to the EFCC, Deele was arrested in April 2025 in the Eneka area of Port Harcourt following intelligence reports linking him to fraudulent online activities. Investigations revealed that he operated romance scams using false identities on Facebook and Telegram, including that of a U.S. citizen named Jenifer Annoson, to deceive victims—among them, a man identified as Anthony—into sending him money.
The court heard that incriminating documents were recovered from Deele’s Tecno Spark mobile phone. EFCC operative Abdulazeez Jafar, who testified in court, said Deele admitted to the crimes in a written statement in the presence of his lawyer.
Following the guilty plea and evidence presented, the court convicted Deele and sentenced him to four months in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, with an option of a N300,000 fine. He was also ordered to forfeit his mobile phone to the federal government and swear an affidavit of good behavior.
