The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley before the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama for an alleged $370,000 internet fraud.

Kingsley was arraigned before Justice U.P Kekemeke on Monday, March 20, 2023, on a two-count charge bordering on stealing, obtaining by false pretence, and criminal possession of fake documents.

One of the counts read: “That you, Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley sometime in 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with intent to defraud obtained the total sum of Three Hundred and Seventy Thousand United States Dollars($370,000) from Nicole Kierulff Sayers under the false pretence of being a purported payment to finance a contract with Federal Ministry of Works and Housing with Contract No: RC/FGN/0275AN/20 issued to Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley, a claim which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence  contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

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Another count read: “That you, Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley sometime in 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja did commit an offence by being in possession of a document containing to wit; ‘Notice of intent to award letter of Federal Ministry of Works and Housing with Contract No: RC/FGN/0275AN/20 issued to Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley” contained in your iPhone 11 Pro Max with IMEI 353894104506455 which you knew the document contained false pretences and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” when the charge was read to him, prompting the prosecution to pray the court for a trial date and remand of the defendant.

However, the defence team urged the court to admit the defendant to  bail.

Justice Kekemeke admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum.

The judge ordered that one of the sureties must be an owner of a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

He also ordered the remand of the defendant at the Kuje Correctional Facility, pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.

Justice Kekemeke, therefore, adjourned the matter till May 18, 2023, for trial.

According to the EFCC, Kingsley was arrested on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at the Sun City Estate, Abuja after a petitioner, Nicole Kierulff Sayers, an American, alleged that he lured her into falsely marrying him and carting away her money.

“I was accustomed to transferring money to him and further felt I had no choice, since I had just married him, even though I did not feel confident in my choice to have married him,” Sayers said.

The Star