Two Nigerians, Gabriel Osereme Xavi (a.k.a. Collins Page) and Aikhaituamen Best Junior Cyril have been arraigned for duping a Belgian nurse via Facebook the sum of €61,500.
The accused persons
allegedly fleeced a 49 year-old Belgian nurse, Goryczka Janina, whom they met
on Facebook, of the sum of fifty five thousand, five hundred Euros.
The victim allegedly met
one of the accused persons sometime in January, 2014, who introduced himself as
“Collins Page”, a Croatian Engineer resident in Wigan, England.
Within days of their
meeting, “Page” contacted her with the story that he was in Nigeria to
supervise a construction project in Edo State and that he was having difficulty
with his credit card as it had been blocked for security reasons. He solicited
Janina’s assistance for desperate cash.
Over the next few weeks,
Janina kept sending him money until she had transferred a total of €61,500
through one Emmanuel Okoh based in Cape Town, South Africa and Messrs
Junior Best and Cyril Ojiemen.
When ‘Mr. Page’
pressurized her for more money, Janina confided in a friend who told her that
she might have fallen into the hands of scammers.
The duo was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice E.F. Ikponmwen of the Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, on charges bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
The duo was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice E.F. Ikponmwen of the Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, on charges bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
While Xavi was slammed
with a 12-count charge, Aikhaituamen was docked on 6-count charge.
The duo however pleaded
not guilty to the charges after they were read to them on November 21, 2014.
In view of the plea of the accused persons, prosecuting counsel, G. K. Latono asked for a trial date and prayed the court to remand them in prison custody.
Counsel to the first accused person, P. E. Onobun and counsel to the second accused C. N. Dike prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable them file applications for bail. Justice Ikponmwen adjourned the case to December 8, 2014 for consideration of bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
Two of the charges against Xavi read:
Count-1: “Gabriel Osereme Xavi (a.k.a. Collins Page), Aikhaituamen Best Junior, Ojiemen Cyril (still at Large) and Emmanuel Okoh (still at Large) sometime between January and February 2014 at Benin within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain money by false pretence from Goryczka Janina, offences contrary to and punishable by Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006”.
Count-2: “Gabriel Osereme Xavi (a.k.a. Collins Page) and Emmanuel Okoh (still at Large) on or about the 31st day of January, 2014 at Benin within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of €40,000 (Forty Thousand Euro) from Goryczka Janina on the false representation that you were a Croatian Engineer handling a road construction project in Edo State, Nigeria and the money was for purchase of equipment and materials towards the project, which representation you knew to be false.”
In view of the plea of the accused persons, prosecuting counsel, G. K. Latono asked for a trial date and prayed the court to remand them in prison custody.
Counsel to the first accused person, P. E. Onobun and counsel to the second accused C. N. Dike prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable them file applications for bail. Justice Ikponmwen adjourned the case to December 8, 2014 for consideration of bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
Two of the charges against Xavi read:
Count-1: “Gabriel Osereme Xavi (a.k.a. Collins Page), Aikhaituamen Best Junior, Ojiemen Cyril (still at Large) and Emmanuel Okoh (still at Large) sometime between January and February 2014 at Benin within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain money by false pretence from Goryczka Janina, offences contrary to and punishable by Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006”.
Count-2: “Gabriel Osereme Xavi (a.k.a. Collins Page) and Emmanuel Okoh (still at Large) on or about the 31st day of January, 2014 at Benin within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of €40,000 (Forty Thousand Euro) from Goryczka Janina on the false representation that you were a Croatian Engineer handling a road construction project in Edo State, Nigeria and the money was for purchase of equipment and materials towards the project, which representation you knew to be false.”
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