EFCC Arraigns Man Over Romance Scam With Hungarian Lady

The Uyo zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Edidiiong Isidore James at the Federal High Court in Uyo for allegedly defrauding a Hungarian lady of $41,000 in a romance scam.

At the preliminary hearing, An EFCC witness, Unyime Moses, told Justice Maurine Oyetenu that the evidence of James’ involvement in the scam was discovered in his mobile phone chats.

Our correspondent gathered that this followed a petition by Elizabeth, the Hungarian, through her country’s embassy in Nigeria.

The witness said the communication between James and the woman whom he often called ‘My Everything’ had details of monetary transactions between them.

Moses said the chat evidence printed from the defendant’s phone revealed that when the woman demanded that her money be refunded to her after the romance went sour, James declined.

Instead, he demanded more money under various guises, insisting that the additional money must be sent to him to enable him release her $41,000 to her.

“Send me $900 if you want your money back, because if you don’t send me the $900, I won’t give you your money back,” James was quoted as saying in their chat.

Moses also told the court that when the woman threatened to report him to the EFCC, James boasted that the EFCC could not arrest him. “Did you really think the EFCC could arrest me?  I remember I once told you that all this won’t help us, that you sent me $900, but you refused. So, tell me, how long will it take you to stop thinking you can arrest me,” James said.

Giving her evidence, the first prosecution witness told the court that James used pseudo names to defraud his victims, and also identified himself as ‘Jessy James’ when he was arrested.  She said a BVN check was immediately conducted and it was confirmed that Jessy was a fake name.

The witness also told the court that all pleas by the Hungarian to James for the refund of her money fell on deaf ears as he kept demanding more money.

After cross-examination, the court adjourned to September 22 and 23, 2026 for further hearing.

It was gathered that James  was arrested at his residence, Ring Road 3, off Camp Gee, Uyo, in a sting operation with incriminating items which were tendered as exhibits by the prosecution counsel,  Joshua Abolarin, and were all admitted in evidence.