Abuja Court Jails Fraudster Seven Years For Defrauding American $205,238

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account, saying Justice U.P. Kekemeke of the FCT High Court, Maitama, delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026. The court also ordered Kingsley to refund the victim the full amount.

The EFCC said Kingsley was sentenced to seven years on each of the two counts against him, with the sentences to run concurrently at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, without an option of fine.

The charges bordered on possession of a document containing false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence in connection with a purported contract with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

According to the Commission, one of the charges accused Kingsley of possessing a fake notice of intent to award a contract allegedly issued in his name by the ministry. The second count accused him of obtaining $205,238 from Sayers by falsely claiming that the money was needed to finance a government contract.

Testifying before the court, Sayers, an American lawyer based in Oregon, United States, said Kingsley first contacted her through Facebook on her birthday.

“I know the defendant. The defendant messaged me on Facebook on my birthday and he said he was a member of the same spiritual organization as me,” she told the court.

Sayers said their conversations later developed into a romantic relationship, which made her trust Kingsley and believe his claims.

According to her testimony, Kingsley subsequently requested money to facilitate the award of a contract by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. She said he claimed that some men were threatening his life because he had not provided the money required to secure the contract.

The witness told the court that Kingsley supplied her with details of the purported contract, including a logo and other information, which she believed because of the emotional attachment she had developed towards him.

She said his initial request was for $15,000, which he promised to repay within 45 days. She transferred the money through a money transfer application.

Sayers further testified that Kingsley later introduced her to members of his family during a video call, during which they allegedly thanked her for helping him secure the purported contract.

She said she had transferred approximately $40,000 to him before travelling to Nigeria to meet him in person.

According to the witness, she arrived in Abuja in March 2022 and spent two weeks with Kingsley at his rented house in Sun City, Abuja. She said she continued the relationship because she wanted to recover her money.

Sayers alleged that Kingsley subsequently requested additional funds for various purposes, including medical emergencies, surgeries, malaria treatment and supplies for the purported government contract.

She told the court that the requests involved more than 125 transactions and that, by her estimate, she transferred well over $200,000 to him within 12 months.

The witness also said Kingsley presented a document he claimed showed that he had attempted to transfer $10,000 to her.

According to her, he claimed that the bank had intercepted the transaction because the money was allegedly linked to the misappropriation of government funds, which he said had led to his arrest and detention.

Sayers further alleged that Kingsley asked her to provide money for his bail and for bribes connected to the purported criminal case.

She told the court that she repeatedly demanded a refund, adding that Kingsley eventually requested her bank details and promised to transfer the money the following day but failed to do so.

She said she later realised that he would not repay the money.

At the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, EFCC counsel, Fatsuma Muhammad, urged the court to convict and sentence Kingsley in accordance with the law.

In his judgment, Justice Kekemeke found Kingsley guilty on the two counts and imposed the prison terms without an option of fine. The court also ordered him to restitute the $205,238 to Sayers.