A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Oluyide Mide to six months in prison for impersonating a person named Crystal on the social media platform TikTok to fraudulently obtain 500 dollars.
Justice Emeka Nwite handed down the sentence after Mide pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of impersonation and fraud.
The judge found Mide guilty and convicted him, giving him the option of a N200,000 fine in place of the jail term. The verdict comes as a warning against digital fraud and impersonation
The prosecution counsel, Maryam Ahmed, had told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in 2025 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court.
According to the charge, Mide fraudulently impersonated one Crystal via www.tiktok.com and in that assumed character, obtained the sum of 500 dollars from the victim through Opay Digital Services Ltd.
“You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended,” the charge stated.
Prosecution counsel urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
However, Mide’s counsel, Mr KUN Osemeha, pleaded for leniency, describing him as a first-time offender who had shown genuine remorse for his actions.
He urged the court to temper justice with mercy and to grant the defendant an option of fine.
