Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Impersonating EFCC Operative

Tobi Paul-Augustine, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by an Ikeja Special Offences Court for impersonating an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Paul-Augustine admitted guilt to a single charge of posing as an EFCC officer.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Rahman Oshodi found him guilty and sentenced him to 18 months in prison. The judge noted that the convict’s actions undermined public trust in the EFCC, an important law enforcement agency.

Oshodi stated:

“Section 380 of the Criminal Law prescribes a punishment of three years imprisonment for the offence of impersonation.”

He emphasized that the convict’s impersonation of an EFCC operative had significantly eroded public confidence in a critical law enforcement institution.

“In mitigation, I note that you pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, thereby saving judicial time, and you cooperated with law enforcement by providing a confessional statement, and you are a first-time offender.

“Having carefully weighed these factors, I hereby sentence you to 50 per cent of the prescribed sentence, 18 months imprisonment.”

Earlier, EFCC counsel, Mr. Fanen Anun, presented the facts of the case and called a witness, Mr. Umar Abdulkari.

The commission submitted several exhibits, including a jacket and face cap with crests, through the witness.

Abdulkari testified that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) handed the convict over to the EFCC on August 16, 2024, along with several recovered items.

Recovered items included two jackets, a Nigerian Army Special Force face cap, a long-sleeved t-shirt, an EFCC face cap, and an Infinix mobile phone.

The prosecution said the convict committed the offence in August 2024 by claiming to be an EFCC officer to obtain financial benefits for himself.

According to the commission, the offence violates Section 380 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.