Yahoo Boy Who Impersonated American Four-Star General Stephen Townsend Bags Eight Years Imprisonment

Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, convicted and sentenced one Tobor Efeturi Godspower to eight years imprisonment for impersonation.

Godspower was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a two-count charge bordering on fraudulent impersonation and possession of fraudulent documents.

One of the counts reads; “That you, Tobor Efeturi Godspower, on or about the 24th day of October 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one ‘Stephen Townsend’, purporting to be a military man stationed in Syria, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.

The second count reads: “That you, Tobor Efeturi  Godspower, on or about the 24th day of October 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently held yourself out as the manager of the crypto account bearing the name ‘Rosemarie Altez’, with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.”

He pleaded guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Given his plea, the prosecution counsel, S.I.Suleiman, tendered the defendant’s statements dated October 28 and 30, 2024 and November 1, 4 and 6, 2024; a Toshiba laptop computer; iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 11 Pro Max; a Casio wristwatch; fraudulent documents printed from his device as well as the sum of $300 restitution made by the defendant.

Suleiman, therefore, urged the court to convict him as charged and sentence him accordingly.

He also prayed that the exhibits recovered from the defendant be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Justice Aluko found the defendant guilty of the offences and sentenced him to four years imprisonment on each of the two counts.

The Judge also gave him an option of a fine of N600,000( Six Hundred Thousand Naira only) on each of the counts.

The exhibits were ordered forfeited by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The convict bagged his imprisonment when he was arrested for fraudulently impersonating one ‘Stephen Townsend’, purporting to be a military man stationed in Syria and defrauding innocent victims in the process.