Tunde Bakare
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu, Enugu State has denied a bail application made by one Blessing Amaka David-Agwa, an alleged fake fertility nurse and ordered accelerated hearing in her trial.
Blessing Amaka David-Agwa is being prosecuted by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a 45-count charge bordering on impersonation, forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N28, 278, 600 (Twenty-eight Million, Two Hundred and Seventy-eight Thousand, Six Hundred Naira).
The defendant is alleged to have forged the certificate of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the Certificate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka and used the same in parading herself as a fertility Nurse, specially trained to assist women in getting pregnant with ease. Investigations revealed that the defendant allegedly defrauded 45 innocent women who fell for her false claims.
The defendant was arraigned on October 22, 2024 and she pleaded not guilty, setting the stage for her trial. However, the defence counsel, G. C. Madubuegwu made a bail application which he said was “brought pursuant to Section 162 and 165 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act”. He prayed the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms.
Opposing the said application, counsel to the EFCC, Blessing N. Obasi, reminded the Court that the allegation against the defendant was a weighty one which has adversely affected the mental health of the victims.
The matter was thereafter adjourned for ruling on the bail application.
Delivering ruling on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, Justice Umar stated that the defence “did not place before the court sufficient materials to grant bail in favour of the defendant. The application for bail is hereby rejected. I hereby order for accelerated hearing”.
The matter was adjourned to November 21, 2024 for trial.
Count 41 of the charge reads: “That you, Blessing Amaka David-Agwa sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N1, 600, 000. 00) only from one Okenwa Joy Chiamaka, under the pretence of being a Medical Fertility Nurse (Specially trained to assist women get pregnant with ease) which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
Count 24 of the charge reads: “That you, Blessing Amaka David-Agwa sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N1, 250, 000. 00) only, from one Amarachi Okpala, under the pretence of being a Medical Fertility Nurse (Specially trained to assist women get pregnant with ease) which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.