Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded two men, Elvis Edokpiawe and Kelly Enogieru, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) over allegations of identity theft, impersonation, obtaining $150,000 by false pretences, and unlawful funds conversion.
Justice Aluko ordered that the defendants be kept behind bars after they pleaded not guilty to two separate four-count charges, marked FHC/L/1009c/204 and FHC/L/1010c/204, filed against them by operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force.
The prosecutor, Zebedee Arekhandia, had earlier informed the court that the defendants, along with others still at large, allegedly committed these offences between 2020 and December 12, 2024, in Benin City, Edo State, and the Lekki area of Lagos State.
Arekhandia also claimed that the first defendant, 23-year-old Edokpiawe, engaged in illegal activities using the identity of one Thomas Lindagard from Denmark, reportedly in the Mediterranean Sea.
The lawyer alleged that Edokpiawe utilised social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, Instagram, and others to defraud unsuspecting victims of approximately $10,000.
He further stated that the second defendant, 23-year-old Enogieru, impersonated Captain Donald Ryg of the United States Army, claiming to be on a peacekeeping mission in Africa and Syria. Using this false identity, Enogieru allegedly defrauded victims of around $140,000.
The prosecutor maintained that the alleged offences contravene Section 8(a) and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006, as well as Section 27(1) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015 (amended in 2024), and Section 22(2) (a), (b) (i), (ii), and (iii) of the same Cybercrime Act.
Arekhandia also insisted that the offences violated Section 1(1) and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, alongside Section 18(2) (a) (b) (c) (d), punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2022.
In response, the prosecutor stated that he had received the applications while in court and requested more time to file his response.
Consequently, Justice Aluko adjourned the matter to December 27 for the hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the two defendants be remanded in custody until the hearing and determination of their bail applications.
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