By Onozure Dania
An Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced Miracle Tega to one year and two months in prison for possessing fraudulent documents. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier brought Tega to court on amended charges related to document fraud.
The EFCC’s prosecuting lawyer, D.I. Oluseyi, informed the court that Tega committed the offenses around April 19, 2024, in Lagos. The prosecution presented evidence showing that Tega possessed a document titled “Google Account Personal Info,” printed from his email ([email protected]). The document falsely portrayed him as Sofia Enriquez, a female American citizen—a claim Tega knew or should have known was untrue. This act violated Section 320 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Tega pleaded guilty to the charges, after which Oluseyi presented the evidence against him. The EFCC revealed that in April 2024, they raided Tega’s residence in Victory Estate, Ajah, Lagos, where he was arrested. During the search, investigators examined an iPhone 11 and a Tecno Spark 9. They uncovered multiple fraudulent documents showing Tega posing as Sofia Enriquez in online conversations with an American man named Cheri Briddle. The fraudulent activity resulted in Tega receiving $100, which he later refunded as N100,000.
The prosecution also submitted Tega’s statements, the fraudulent documents found on his devices, and the devices themselves as evidence. With no objections from Tega’s defense lawyer, Bukola Niniola, the court admitted all items into evidence.
Oluseyi then urged the court to convict Tega and forfeit his devices to the Federal Government. Justice Rahman Oshodi, after reviewing the evidence, found Tega guilty. Before delivering the sentence, the judge gave Tega an opportunity to address the court, and he requested leniency. His defense also pleaded for mercy, citing that Tega was a first-time offender.
Ultimately, Justice Oshodi sentenced Tega to one year and two months in prison.
