Fake Spiritualist Jailed in Abuja Over Sextortion of Indian Woman

​The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has convicted and sentenced a self-styled spiritualist, Solomon Odigie Moses, to one year imprisonment for cyber-enabled fraud and sextortion targeting an overseas client.

​Justice C.N. Nwabulu handed down the verdict following a swift trial in which the defendant entered a guilty plea to a one-count charge bordering on criminal impersonation, cheating, and extortion.

​Court proceedings revealed that the convict operated a fictitious TikTok account under the alias “Dr. Solomon,” through which he lured an Indian national, Sharon Kaur, seeking metaphysical intervention and spiritual prayers. Investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) established that Moses fraudulently obtained $1,100 (One Thousand, One Hundred United States Dollars) from the victim.

​Tracking data presented by the prosecution counsel, Maryam Hayatudeen, showed that the cybercriminal—apprehended in Ekpoma, Edo State—channeled the illicit funds through the Zelle payment infrastructure before routing the local currency equivalent into his domestic bank account.

​Beyond financial swindling, the case took a darker turn when Moses manipulated the vulnerable victim into performing a naked “spiritual bath” via a live video stream, which he surreptitiously recorded. Armed with the explicit footage, he turned to blackmail, threatening to blast her nudity across public internet domains unless she met further financial demands. Compelled by the threat, the victim parted with the $1,100 sum before reporting the ordeal to anti-graft authorities.

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​The offense contravenes Section 321 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN, 1990, and carries punishable sanctions under Section 322.

​Upon the conclusion of arguments and the guilty plea, Justice Nwabulu sentenced Moses to one year behind bars, coupled with an option of a N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. Additionally, the court ordered the full forfeiture of the $1,100 proceeds of crime to be channeled back to the foreign victim through the EFCC.