Two young men identified as Ukhuriegbe Glory Irekpitan and Onyekwa Joshua Chinedum have been arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Benin Zonal Command.
The suspects were arrested for allegedly impersonating British-Nigerian boxing great, Anthony Joshua.
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One of the charges against Ukhuriegbe Glory Irekpitan reads: “That you Ukhuriegbe Glory Irekpitan sometime in 2018 did with intent to defraud sent electronic messages which materially misrepresent facts to Mrs Zahra Bagun, a lady in London which messages she relied on and which caused her to suffer the financial loss in the sum of £5,491.23 pounds, the equivalent of N2,306,220 and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14(2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention, Etc) Act 2015.”
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A statement by the agecny said that “the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them prompting the prosecution counsel, I.M. Elody to ask for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in the custody of the Correctional Service.
Counsel to the defendants pleaded for his clients to remain in the custody of the EFCC, a suggestion that was opposed by counsel to the agency.
“Justice Shuaibu adjourned the matter till October 21, 2021, and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Benin City.”
