The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 have arraigned four suspects for online fraud and money laundering before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The suspects are: Chidera Ezechukwu Praise, Oghomienor Jotham Anirejuoritse, Shittu Gbenga Solomon, and Olamilekan Ibrahim.
While Praise was charged with two counts of alleged internet and money laundering totaling N75,000,000 (Seventy-five million Naira), the three others were charged with one count of internet fraud after being apprehended alongside other suspected internet fraudsters during an EFCC sting operation.
One of the counts reads: “That you, CHIDERA EZECHUKWU PRAISE , sometime in May 2025 at Lagos, within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court did retain the sum of N12,750,318.63 (Twelve Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighteen Million, Sixty-three Kobo) in your UBA account with account number 2330149541, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful act to wit: engaging in online dating scam and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(b) of the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 as amended and punishable under section 14(2) of the same Act.”
Another count reads: “That you, OGHOMIENOR JOTHAM ANIREJUORITSE, sometime in 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, fraudulently impersonated Christopher Rozup, a citizen of Canada by holding yourself out as such, with the intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary and 22(2) (B) Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015.”
They each pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them.
In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa and Fanen Anum, called on Abdullahi Abubakar, Adaezi Eghosa, Hamza Lawal and Nwike Fortune, who are all investigative officers with the EFCC, to review the facts of the cases.
In his testimony, Abubakar specifically stated that the sum of N75m (Seventy- Five Million Naira) was found in Praise’s bank accounts.
The prosecution counsel, thereafter, tendered the defendants’ extrajudicial statements, devices, vehicle recovered from Shittu Gbenga, as well as the monies through the investigative officers.
They were all admitted as exhibits by the court.
The counsels also prayed the court to convict the defendants accordingly and order the forfeiture of the monies to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Consequently, the judge adjourned the matter till June 13, 2025 for conviction and sentencing.
The judge also ordered the defendants to be remanded in the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Centre.
