EFCC Secures Seven-Year Jail Term for Man Who Defrauded US Lawyer of $205,238
A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has sentenced Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley to seven years’ imprisonment for defrauding an American lawyer, Nicole Kierulff Sayers, of $205,238 through a fictitious government contract.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which prosecuted the case, disclosed that Justice U.P. Kekemeke delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
Kingsley was sentenced to seven years on each of the two charges bordering on possession of a document containing false pretence and obtaining money by false pretence. The sentences will run concurrently at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja, without an option of fine.
The court also directed him to restitute the victim the full sum of $205,238.
The EFCC said the convict deceived Sayers into believing that he had secured or was facilitating a contract with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and needed financial assistance to execute it.
To support his claims, Kingsley allegedly presented a fake notice of intent to award a contract, purportedly issued in his name by the ministry.
Testifying during the proceedings, Sayers, who resides in Oregon, United States, narrated how she met Kingsley on Facebook and subsequently became romantically involved with him.
She told the court that the defendant first sent her a message on her birthday, claiming they belonged to the same spiritual organisation.
The relationship, according to her, gradually developed into an emotional attachment, making her trust him and believe his explanations whenever he requested financial assistance.
Sayers disclosed that Kingsley initially asked her for $15,000, promising to refund the money within 45 days. He allegedly claimed that he needed the funds to secure a government contract and that some individuals were threatening his life over the unpaid money.
She said she transferred the money through a money transfer application after receiving details and other information about the purported contract.
The American lawyer further narrated that Kingsley introduced her to his family members through a video call, during which they allegedly expressed appreciation for her financial support.
By the time she travelled to Nigeria in March 2022, she had reportedly transferred approximately $40,000 to him.
Sayers said she arrived in Abuja and spent two weeks with Kingsley at his rented residence in Sun City, adding that she continued the relationship partly because she hoped to recover the money she had already sent.
However, she alleged that the defendant continued making financial demands, citing medical emergencies, surgeries, malaria treatment and expenses relating to the purported contract.
The witness told the court that she made more than 125 transfers to Kingsley, with the total amount exceeding $200,000 within a year.
She further alleged that the defendant later claimed he had attempted to send her $10,000 but that the bank intercepted the transaction because the funds were allegedly linked to the misappropriation of government money.
According to her testimony, Kingsley claimed that the incident resulted in his arrest and detention and subsequently asked her to provide money for bail and alleged bribes.
Sayers said she repeatedly demanded a refund but the defendant failed to repay the money despite requesting her bank details and promising to make the transfer the following day.
Following the prosecution’s case, EFCC counsel, Fatsuma Muhammad, urged the court to find the defendant guilty and impose the appropriate punishment.
Justice Kekemeke subsequently convicted Kingsley on both counts, sentencing him to seven years’ imprisonment without an option of fine and ordering him to refund the American victim $205,238.
