An Abuja High Court has convicted Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley of defrauding American lawyer Nicole Kierulff Sayers of $205,238 through a purported Federal Government contract, sentencing him to seven years in prison without an option of fine.
Justice U.P. Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, delivered the judgment on Thursday, October 29, 2026, following a prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over two counts relating to false pretence. The court also ordered Kingsley to refund the full amount to Sayers, with both prison terms to run concurrently at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
The charges involved possession of a document containing false pretence and obtaining money under false pretence in connection with a purported contract with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
One count concerned a notice of intent to award a contract allegedly issued in Kingsley’s name by the ministry, while the other related to his claim that he needed money to finance the government contract.
During the trial, Sayers, a lawyer based in Oregon, United States, told the court that she met Kingsley through Facebook after he contacted her on her birthday.
“I know the defendant. The defendant messaged me on Facebook on my birthday and he said he was a member of the same spiritual organization as me,” she said.
She testified that their conversations developed into a romantic relationship, which led her to trust his claims about the purported contract.
According to Sayers, Kingsley initially requested $15,000 and promised to repay it within 45 days. She said she sent the money through a transfer application and had transferred approximately $40,000 before travelling to Nigeria to meet him.
Sayers told the court that she arrived in Abuja in March 2022 and spent two weeks with Kingsley at his rented residence in Sun City. She said she continued the relationship because she hoped to recover the money she had sent.
The witness alleged that Kingsley subsequently requested additional funds for medical emergencies, surgeries, malaria treatment and supplies connected to the purported government contract.
She estimated that she made more than 125 transactions over a 12-month period, transferring well over $200,000.
Sayers further testified that Kingsley presented a document he claimed showed an attempted transfer of $10,000 to her. He allegedly told her that the bank had intercepted the transaction because the money was linked to the misappropriation of government funds.
She also alleged that he requested money for bail and bribes connected to the purported criminal case.
According to her testimony, she repeatedly sought a refund, but Kingsley eventually asked for her bank details and promised to transfer the money the following day. She said the repayment did not materialise, leading her to conclude that he would not return the funds.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, EFCC counsel Fatsuma Muhammad urged the court to convict and sentence Kingsley in accordance with the law.
Justice Kekemeke found him guilty on both counts and imposed the prison terms without an option of fine, alongside the order to restitute Sayers $205,238.
Ademide Adebayo
