The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two brothers, Ajim Kerison Onubuogu and Ajim Tochukwu Christian for allegedly defrauding an American woman, Chebet Chumba, of $43,850 and N18.6 million.
The arraignment of the two brothers which took place at the Federal High Court, Independence Layout, Enugu was presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba Umar.
The siblings were charged with four counts, including criminal impersonation, obtaining by false pretences, money laundering, and possession of proceeds of crime.
The prosecution alleged that Ajim Kerison used a fake Facebook account to impersonate a U.S. resident and defraud the victim through fraudulent love messages.
Ajim Tochukwu was accused of laundering the proceeds through his Opay Digital Service account.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In response, EFCC counsel ACE II Michael Ikechukwu Ani requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in custody.
Justice Umar adjourned the bail hearing to January 21, 2025, and ordered their remand at the Enugu State Correctional Facility.
The case began after the victim filed a petition, detailing how the brothers exploited her.
EFCC investigations uncovered that the defendants specialized in love scams, operating fake social media accounts to deceive victims.
Fraudulent documents linked to their activities were also recovered.
The EFCC continues to emphasize its commitment to combating cybercrime and protecting individuals from fraudulent schemes.
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