Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced one Miracle Deele to jail for fraud.
He was convicted and sentenced upon his arraignment on Monday, May 26, 2025 by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a three-count charge, bothering on impersonation and advance fee fraud.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Miracle Deele, sometime in 2024 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had in your Tecno Spark mobile phone, documents containing false pretences with different subjects which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence Contrary to Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “guilty” when the charges were read to him, following which prosecution counsel, E. Abbiyesu reviewed the facts of the case and called a witness, Abdulazeez Jafar, an officer of the EFCC through whom he tendered some incriminating documents which were admitted in evidence.
The witness while being led in evidence, told the court that Deele was arrested by the Commission sometime in April, 2025 at Eneka axis of Port Harcourt, following credible intelligence that exposed his fraudulent internet activities.
Investigations the witness said revealed that the Deele specialised in romance scam and created Facebook and Telegram accounts using the picture of a female US citizen, Jenifer Annoson to communicate with his victims, one of whom is Anthony, a male US citizen and was professing love to every man he chatted with, with the intent of gaining financial advantage for himself. The witness further disclosed that the convict volunteered his statements in writing in the presence of his lawyer at the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Commission.
In view of Deele’s guilty plea, the exhibits tendered and the testimony of the witness, the prosecution prayed the court to convict and sentence him accordingly, while the defence counsel, B. I. O Egwu prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that his client has regretted his actions.
Justice Obile convicted and sentenced him to four months in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre or to pay N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. In addition, he forfeited his Tecno Spark mobile phone to the federal government and deposed to an affidavit of good behaviour before the court, going forward.
