EFCC arraignes Graduate Accused of $900 Fraud In Benin

A 29-year-old graduate of the Delta State
University, Victor Okunmwendia, on Thursday
appeared in a Federal High Court, Benin,
charged with a 900 dollar fraud.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr
Wilson Uwujaren, Head of Media and Publicity
of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), and made available to
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Uwujaren said that the accused, who was
arraigned by the commission before Justice
Patricia Ajoku , was charged on a three-count
of fraud and obtaining money by false
pretence.
He said the accused pleaded not guilty to the
charges.
Counsel to the commission, M.T. Iko, told the
court that the accused presented himself as
Sister Julia Imoke, founder and Coordinator of
Happy Home Orphanage, Benin, to extort
money from unsuspecting persons.
The persecutor said Okunmwendia conspired
with others, now at large, to obtain the sum of
900 U.S. dollars from one Ada K., a female.
Iko alleged that the accused got the money
through Western Union Money Transfer under
the guise that he was Imoke, the founder and
coordinator of the “fictitious orphanage”.
He said the alleged offence was contrary to
Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and
Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and
punishable under Section 1(3) of the same
law.
After the accused took his plea, Iko asked the
court to fix a date for trial and to remand the
defendant in prison custody.
Attempt by the defence counsel, Osman
Idehen, to move a bail application was refused
by the court.
The presiding judge adjourned the case till
Nov. 16 for trial and ordered that the
defendant be remanded in prison custody.