The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of TikTok music celebrity, Crown Uzama, and five others before Justice A. A. Isiaka on a separate one-count charge bordering on criminal impersonation, offences contrary to Sections 142 (1), 57 and 308 of the Kaduna Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.
In a post on its verified Twitter handle on Friday night, the Commission said Uzama (aka 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). Makuochukwu had two weeks earlier been convicted for money laundering.
They all pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them. Consequently, the prosecuting counsel, M. E. Eimonye, M. Arumeni, M. U. Gadaka and K.S Ogunlade urged the court to convict them accordingly.
Justice Isiaka convicted and sentenced the defendants to two years imprisonment each with the option of fines.
In addition, they are to forfeit all electronic gadgets, furniture and other items recovered from them, to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The defendants were arrested at various locations in Kaduna upon intelligence received by the Command. The investigation established they had impersonated foreign nationals and used false identities to defraud unsuspecting victims.