Obiechina Chikeluba |
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Obiechina Chikeluba before the High Court in Lagos state on June 15, Monday.
This Day reports that the young man is accused of obtaining money by false pretence, impersonation, forgery and using false documents.
Wilson Uwujaren, the agency’s spokesman, said that Chikeluba met all his victims on Facebook using the false identity Lisa T. Jackson, a United States citizen. The man was said to have been making monetary demands from his victims, using various guises.
“In one such instance in March 2013, he obtained the total sum of £54,324.59 from one K. Oaks through Western Union on the pretext that he was an American woman dealing in Gold in Nigeria and needed money to increase her capital. The unsuspecting victim paid, having already agreed to marry the conman,” the statement said.
When the charges were read to Chikeluba, he reportedly pleaded not guilty.
Taking into consideration the plea of the accused, Andrew Akoja, the prosecution counsel, asked Justice O. A Ipaye for a trial date and begged the court to remand the defendant in prison custody.
Chijioke Agu, the defence counsel, informed the court that he had already filed an application for bail and asked to be allowed to move his application.
However, Justice Ipaye adjourned the matter to July 20, 2015 for hearing of bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in custody.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that Chikeluba is 21 years old and he is a student of Federal Science and Technical College in Yaba, Lagos state.
The young Internet fraudster was arrested by the operatives of the EFCC on February 24, 2015.
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