EFCC Arraigns Five Suspected Internet Fraudsters

The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on Monday, May 11,
2015 arraigned Uchenna Nwako, Ejikeme
Oluchukwu, Nnamani Ikechukwu, Ibeh
kodili Martins and Nwako Victoria Ifeoma
before Justice D.V Agishir of the Federal
High Court, Enugu, on a 16-count charge
bordering on intent to defraud and
obtaining N26,338,000 by false pretence.
The five accused persons were picked up
by EFCC operatives on February 27, 2013
after intelligence reports indicated that they
were involved in fraudulent activities
bordering on cybercrime.
Part of the charge read: “That you Uchenna
Nwako, Ejikme Oluchukwu, Nnamani
Ikechukwu, Ibeh Kodili Martins and Nwako
Victoria Ifeoma sometime in November
2012 in Enugu, Enugu State within the
jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of
Nigeria, conspired among yourselves to
commit an unlawful act to wit: obtaining
money by false pretense and thereby
committed an offense contrary to Section
8(a) and punishable under section 1(3) of
Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related
Offences Act, 2006.
“That you Nwako Victoria Ifeoma and
Uchenna Nwako on or about October 18,
2012 in Enugu, Enugu State within the
jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of
Nigeria, concealed and disguised the origin
of the sum of N8,940,000 which is proceed
of an unlawful activity by causing the said
money to be paid into the Zenith Bank
account number 1013144345 of Ifechina
Enterprises Limited, a private limited
company jointly owned by both of you,
and you thereby committed an offence
contrary to Section 15(2)(a) and punishable
under Section 15(3) of the Money
Laundering Act , 2011 (As Amended).”
They however, pleaded not guilty, when
the charges were read to them.
In view of their plea, the EFCC counsel, M.
A. Ekwu, requested for a date to be fixed for
trial of the accused persons to begin.
Defence counsel, A. Oyenkwere, however
requested bail for his clients, which was
opposed by Ekwu.
Ekwu argued that only Ikechukwu who had
honoured the terms of the administrative
bail deserved bail. Ikechukwu was thereafter
granted bail in the sum of N1,000,000 with
one surety who must be either a seasoned
businessman that owns a landed property
with a C of O, or a civil servant of Grade
Level 15 or above.
The case was adjourned till May 13, 2015 for
consideration of the bail application of the
other accused persons, who were ordered
to be remanded in EFCC custody.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
12th May, 2015