EFCC Arraigns Two over $149,000 Love Scam
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned two internet fraudsters, Olubode Olukotun and Olamide Adekeye on a 22-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, to the tune of One Hundred and Forty Nine
Thousand Dollars ($149,000) before Justice Akinteye, of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan. The accused persons were alleged to have obtained the sum from two American citizens, Janet Nelson and Louise Cecchni, in a romance scam.
When the charges were read to the accused persons, they pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution counsel, Kayode Oni asked the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody, while requesting for a date for the commencement of trial. However, defense counsel, Olaniyi, told the court that he had already filed a bail application since April 1st, and served the prosecution since April 17.
However, Oni countered that it was against the law to file for bail when the accused had not been arraigned. Olaniyi therefore pleaded that the accused be remanded in SSS custody.
Justice Akinteye adjourned the matter till May 15th, 2012, and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.
The accused persons were arrested on June 14, 2011 at Borem Inn, Ibadan by operatives of the Department of State Security, SSS and handed over to the EFCC on June 28, 2011.
Adekeye, a 25-year old student of Biochemistry, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo confessed to scamming one Janet Nelson, an American lady online in a dating gambit. He claimed to have met her through yahoo messenger where he saw her pictures. He dated her using the false identity of a David Donovan, a successful American. He successfully fleeced her of Ninety Thousand Dollars ($90,000), which she sent to him in various installments through Western Union money transfer and also through GoldExPay. From the proceeds of the crime he bought a Peugeot 407 saloon car for himself.
On his part, 28-year old Olubode, a fresh graduate of University of Ilorin, awaiting call up to National service posed as Scott Ferguson, a Caucasian to fleece Louise Cecchni of the sum of Fifty Three Thousand dollars ($53,000) in various installments. He obtained the money under the guise of a short loan facility, with a promise to refund his internet lover. Both signed a promissory note to that effect and she started wiring him the hard currency through a GoldExPay account he maintained with Liberty Reserve. From proceeds of the heist, Olubode bought for himself an Infinity M35X 2007 model saloon car for Four million Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N4.4million).
