By SpringNewsNG Media Limited | June 3, 2025

India – Three Nigerian nationals have each been sentenced to five years in prison by an Indian court for their roles in an online romance scam that defrauded an Indian schoolteacher of approximately ₹6.3 lakh (about $7,500 USD).

The convicted individuals—Nelson Chigaogejimu, Francis Emeka, and Udala Chukwudi—were found guilty by Chief Judicial Magistrate Richa Verma in a ruling delivered on Saturday, according to The Times of India.

The cyberfraud syndicate posed as a UK-based suitor online, tricking the victim, Ruchi Singh, a teacher with the Basic Education Department in Aashanagar, into believing she was receiving a valuable parcel from a supposed love interest.

The scam began on May 12, 2020, when Singh received a message from an international number introducing the sender as “Deepak Lee”. The sender claimed to have found her profile on a matrimonial website and began communicating with her via WhatsApp. Shortly after, he claimed to have sent her a parcel from London.

The fraudsters provided Singh with a fake tracking number showing the parcel’s movement from the UK to Delhi, before alleging that the package was being held by customs due to unpaid clearance charges.

A woman impersonating a customs officer later contacted Singh and convinced her to transfer ₹6,31,548 to several bank accounts for “customs clearance.”

When the parcel never arrived, Singh reported the incident to Kotwali police station, following the directive of the city’s Superintendent of Police, Neeraj Jadaun.

Following investigations, the Nigerian trio were arrested in Delhi on October 17, 2020, and charged under multiple laws including sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for cheating and forgery, the Information Technology Act, and the Foreigners Act of 1960.

Each convict was fined ₹75,000, with an additional 15-day jail term to be served if the fine remains unpaid.

This case adds to a growing list of cybercrime and fraud cases involving Nigerian nationals in India. Just last week, four other Nigerians—Pepe Morepeyi, Gabriel Onyeka, Bamba Fanta, and Abigail Adonis—were arrested in different operations across the country for alleged cyber fraud and drug trafficking. They now face prosecution and possible deportation.