A Federal High Court in Lagos, Nigeria, has sentenced Courage Ipaka to two years in prison for impersonating Nigerian musician Flavour and defrauding a U.S.-based woman of $53,000. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) led the investigation, following a petition filed by Eyitayo Tolulope Abiodun and others on behalf of the victim, Yvelte M. Thompson.

The EFCC’s lead investigator, Azibagiri Dan Ekpar, explained that Ipaka posed as Flavour, promising to organize music shows in the U.S. in exchange for payment. Thompson transferred the funds to Ipaka through Bitcoin transactions, which he converted to Naira and deposited into his Access Bank account.

The investigation uncovered that Ipaka, residing in Benin City, Edo State, orchestrated the scam in 2021, exploiting Thompson’s trust.

In court, Ipaka admitted to impersonating Flavour and defrauding Thompson. The EFCC recovered N7.9 million from Ipaka, which the court ordered to be forfeited to the victim.

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu, in his ruling, condemned Ipaka’s actions, sentencing him to two years in prison. However, the court offered an alternative: Ipaka could pay a fine of N2 million instead of serving the prison term. The recovered N7.9 million will also be returned to Thompson as restitution.