On August 20, 2025, Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, sentenced Salami Ponmile Bassit to three months in prison for internet fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Bassit on a single cybercrime charge after his arrest on July 31, 2025, during a sting operation at Lekki Garden Horizon Height.
Bassit, who posed as a white woman named “Katia Banks” on Facebook, pleaded guilty to fraudulently impersonating someone to gain financial advantage, an offense under the Cyber Crimes Act, 2015.
EFCC operative Ilyasu Dauda revealed that Bassit sent pornographic images to unsuspecting victims and used an iPhone 16 to commit the crime. The court admitted Bassit’s statement, the iPhone, and forensic evidence from the device.
Despite a plea for leniency from his lawyer, who noted Bassit as a first-time offender, Justice Dipeolu convicted him.
Bassit received a three-month sentence with an option of a N2m fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of his iPhone to the Federal Government.
The EFCC’s operation, driven by intelligence on internet fraud activities in Lagos, led to Bassit’s arrest alongside others.
