Etoh Oluwabukola (aka Mobolaji Johnson) was on June 13 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court Owerri, Imo State, on an eight-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N1,044,000 (One Million and Forty-four Thousand Naira).
Oluwabukola belongs to a syndicate of fraudsters that operated seven different accounts with different banks, using fictitious names, and non-existent addresses, with the sole aim of using the said accounts to conceal their fraudulent activities.
The modus operandi of the syndicate was to deceive their victim into believing that their goods were seized by the Nigeria Customs Service. They then demand for money to secure the release of the purported goods from the Customs.
One of their victims, who tried fruitlessly to get a refund of her money, petitioned the EFCC.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Etoh Oluwabukola, (aka Mobolaji Johnson), Bukola Adebayo, Abdulmalik Akande, Obafemi Abolore, John Moses and Dapo Aransiola (now at large), between November 2015 and March 2016, in Owerri, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) from Christian Okoro, which you claimed to be freight from Lagos to Ebonyi for goods allegedly shipped from abroad by one John Ajah, an in-law of Christian Okoro, a pretence which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence 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 Act.”
Oluwabukola pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
The prosecuting counsel, Harrison Ibekwute, then prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison.
The defence counsel, Ernest Isiwu, however, pleaded with the court to remand the defendant in EFCC custody pending when he will file a formal bail application.
While adjourning to June 22, 2016, Justice Allagoa ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody. [EFCC]
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