Nigerian singer Chinedu Okoli, popularly known as Flavour N’abania, has reacted to the jail term handed to his impersonator, Courage Ikpaka.
Courage Ikpaka was sentenced to two years in prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos for impersonating Flavour and defrauding an American woman, Yvelte M. Thompson, of $53,000.
According to reports, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu convicted Ikpaka on September 3 after he pleaded guilty to charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The prosecution, represented by Suleiman Suleiman, presented EFCC investigator Azibagiri Dan Ekpar, who testified that Ikpaka posed as Flavour and falsely promised to organize shows in the U.S., receiving payments through Bitcoin.
The EFCC began its investigation after receiving a complaint from one Eyitayo Tolulope Abiodun and others on behalf of the victim.
Ekpar stated, “We invited Flavour who honoured the invitation and claimed innocence of the allegations.
“Upon investigation, we discovered that one Ipaka Courage who lives in Benin City was the perpetrator.
“We invited the defendant, and he admitted in his statement that he impersonated Flavour by obtaining the sum of $53,000 from a woman who is a United States Citizen in 2021.
‘He wired the funds through Bitcoin wallets and converted them in his Bank account where he received the value in Naira.
“The sum of N7.9m Naira was recovered from the defendant through Zenith and Access Bank manager’s cheques.”
After Ikpaka pleaded guilty, Justice Dipeolu sentenced him to two years in prison, with an option to pay a fine of N2 million.
The judge also ordered that the N7.9 million recovered from Ikpaka be returned to the victim, Mrs. Thompson.
Flavour responded to the news on his X (formerly Twitter) account, sharing a photo of Ikpaka with the caption, “One down. Ndi uchu!”
KanyiDaily recalls that a Russian lady identified as Marina revealed why she tattooed the face of Flavour N’abania, in two places on her body.