EFCC arraigns man for $370,000 fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley before Justice U.P Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja for an alleged $370,000 internet fraud.

He was arraigned on Monday, March 20, 2023 on a two-count charge bordering on stealing, obtaining by false pretence and criminal possession of fake documents.

One of the counts reads; “That you, Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley sometime in 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with intent to defraud obtained the total sum of Three Hundred and Seventy Thousand United States Dollars($370,000) from Nicole Kierulff Sayers under the false pretence of being a purported payment to finance a contract with Federal Ministry of Works and Housing with Contract No: RC/FGN/0275AN/20 issued to Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley, a claim which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence  contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.

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Another count reads; “That you, Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley sometime in 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja did commit an offence by being in possession of a document containing to wit; ‘Notice of intent to award letter of Federal Ministry of Works and Housing with Contract No: RC/FGN/0275AN/20 issued to Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley” contained in your iPhone 11 Pro Max with IMEI 353894104506455 which you knew the document contained false pretences and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” when the charge was read to him, prompting the prosecution to pray the court for a trial date and remand of the defendant. However, the defence team urged the court to admit the defendant to bail.

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Justice Kekemeke admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of One Hundred Million Naira (N100, 000,000.00) with two sureties in like sum.  One of the sureties must be an owner of a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

The judge ordered the remand of the defendant at the Kuje Correctional Facility, pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions. He also adjourned the matter till May 18, 2023 for trial.

Kingsley was arrested on Wednesday February 15, 2023 at the Sun City Estate, Abuja after a petitioner, Nicole Kierulff Sayers, an American, alleged that he lured her into falsely marrying him and carting away her money.

“I was accustomed to transferring money to him and further felt I had no choice,  since I had just married him,  even though I did not feel confident in my choice to have married him”, she said.

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