The Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned one David Ikeaghichi before Justice S. D. Pam of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for impersonating an Afghanistan soldier and obtaining money under pretence.
According to a statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, on Friday, the convict specialised in impersonation, investment and dating scams on the Internet.
Ikeaghichi was arraigned on Thursday and faces trial on two counts of charges, which run contrary to Section 1 (1) (a and b) and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
One of the charges read, “That you, David Ikeaghichi, on or about October 31, 2023, in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, impersonated one military personnel from Afghanistan and obtained the sum of $1,000 worth of gift card from one Dennis from Singapore, by falsely representing it to be for investment purposes, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a and b) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
According to the statement, Ikeaghichi pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him, upon which prosecution counsel, K. Abdulsalam, prayed the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial and for the defendant to be remanded in a correctional centre, while the defence counsel, Wilfred Ayerit, informed the court of his bail application for the defendant.
Justice Pam ordered that the defendant be remanded in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter to April 24, 2024, for the hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial.
The statement added, “Ikeaghichi’s journey to the correctional centre began when the commission received intelligence on his fraudulent internet activities within the Eneka/Elumbu areas of Port Harcourt.
“Following up with other pretences, he obtained a gift card worth $1,000 from Denis. Further investigations showed that the accused sold the $1,000 gift card in local currency via an online Chinese vendor.”
Punch