A federal high court in Lagos has sentenced Courage Ipaka, an impersonator of the popular singer Flavour, to two years in prison for fraud. Ipaka was convicted for defrauding a United States-based woman, Yvelte M. Thompson, out of $53,000.
The case was investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with Azibagiri Dan Ekpar leading the probe. According to Ekpar, Ipaka used Flavour’s identity to deceive Thompson by promising to organize concerts in America. Payments for these fictitious shows were made through Bitcoin wallets, which Ipaka then converted into Nigerian Naira.
The investigation began after a petition was filed by Eyitayo Tolulope Abiodun and others on behalf of Thompson. The petition led to Flavour himself being interviewed, who confirmed his lack of involvement. Subsequent inquiries revealed that Ipaka, a resident of Benin City, was behind the impersonation scheme.
Ipaka confessed to the crime, admitting that he had fraudulently obtained $53,000 from Thompson in 2021. He transferred the money through Bitcoin wallets, later converting it into Naira through his Access Bank account. During the investigation, EFCC recovered N7.9 million from Ipaka through manager’s cheques from Zenith and Access Bank.
In his ruling, Judge Dehinde Dipeolu sentenced Ipaka to two years in prison but also offered an alternative option of a N2 million fine. Additionally, Ipaka was ordered to forfeit the recovered N7.9 million to Thompson as restitution for her losses.
The court’s decision underscores the severity of financial fraud and the commitment of the EFCC to addressing such crimes.
