EFCC Arraigns Woman Over N6.8m Romance Scam In Borno

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned one suspect identified as Catherine Ijeoma Ugwu before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court Maiduguri, over alleged romance scam.

Catherine on Monday, was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, criminal misappropriation and cheating by impersonation to the tune of N6,815,300.

The suspect was said to have obtained the sum of the money by impersonating and pretending to be the fiancée of the petitioner.

This was contained in a statement shared by the anti-graft agency’s on Monday via its Facebook page.

The post partly reads: “That you Catherine Ijeoma Ugwu between the period of June, 2023 to August, 2024 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the aggregate sum of N6, 710,300.00 (Six Million Seven Hundred and Ten Thousand Three Hundred Naira) from Emmanuel Ani into your bank account: 1778806195 domiciled with Access Bank plc. under the pretence that same is meant for the upkeep of his purported fiancee, one Miss Chinansa, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud related Offences Act, 2006.

“Ugwu’s journey to the Correctional Centre started when she obtained the sum of N6.8million by impersonating and pretending to be the fiancée of the petitioner.

“When contacted by the petitioner, the defendant can neither account for or return the money she collected.”

Upon the charges being read to her, Ugwu pleaded not guilty.

Prosecution counsel S.O Saka and Faruku Muhammad requested the court to set a trial date and remand Ugwu to a correctional centre.

Justice Kumaliya granted their request, adjourning the case until April 8, 2025, for the commencement of the trial. Ugwu was subsequently remanded in a correctional centre.