Aluko Tunmise Juwonlo, also known as Keanu Reeves, has been convicted for making false statements and impersonating the Hollywood actor on Telegram to procure financial benefits.

The court heard that between January and March 2024, Juwonlo posed as Keanu Reeves, a white man, on his Telegram account.

He was aware of the falsehood and intended to deceive others into issuing financial instruments to him. His actions were in violation of Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.

When the charges were read, Juwonlo pleaded guilty.

Prosecution counsel C.C. Okezie presented EFCC operative Vincent Sunday Kwambuge to review the case. Kwambuge testified that Juwonlo was arrested in March 2024 at Lekki County Estate, Lagos, based on credible intelligence about internet fraudsters in the area. An iPhone 12 Pro Max was recovered from Juwonlo at the time of his arrest.

Kwambuge informed the court that Juwonlo admitted to engaging in celebrity scams, specifically impersonating celebrities to deceive people.

The prosecution tendered Juwonlo’s extra-judicial statements, the recovered iPhone, and forensic investigation documents as evidence, which Justice Aneke admitted as exhibits.

Defense counsel A.O. Idowu requested leniency, highlighting that Juwonlo was a first-time offender and expressed remorse for his actions. Idowu also requested a non-custodial sentence.

Justice Aneke sentenced Juwonlo to one year imprisonment with an option to pay a fine of N300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) and perform 100 hours of community service. Additionally, the judge ordered that Juwonlo’s mobile phone be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.