Tunde Bakare
The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Raheem Abiodun Wasiu before Justice H. O. Eya of the Enugu State High Court, sitting in Independence Layout for alleged $5,000 (Five Thousand United States Dollar) fraud.
Wasiu was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of the said sum.
Count two of the charge reads: “That you, Wasiu Abiodun Raheem, on the 6th day of July, 2026b at Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of $5,000 (Five Thousand United States Dollars) from Stanley Chukwuamuanya Ezekulie, under false pretense that you will transfer to Stanley Chukwuamuanya Ezekulie the Naira equivalent of N7, 050, 000. 00 (Seven Million, Fifty Thousand Naira), a representation you knew to be false”.
The offence is 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.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” and in view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Chief Superintendent of the EFCC, CSE Chiekezie Raymond Edozie prayed the court for a trial date and for Wasiu to be remanded at the facility of the Nigerian Correctional service, NCoS in Enugu.
However, the defence counsel, A. J. Ebube orally applied for bail for his client but was opposed by the prosecution on the grounds that “the prosecution has facts which if brought to the notice of the court will make the court unwilling to grant the defendant bail”. The prosecution prayed for accelerated hearing.
The matter was adjourned to October 28, 2026 for hearing of bail application; November 3 and 10, 2026 for trial. The defendant was thereafter remanded at the facility of the NCoS.
Wasiu, 38, was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, following a complaint by one Stanley Chukwuamuanya Ezekulie, a Bureau De Change operator who claimed that he defrauded him of $5000
In the course of investigation by operatives of the EFCC, it was discovered that the suspect always rents different Toyota Hilux trucks, disguises as a wealthy contractor, moves with escorts and meets BDC operators in the South-east and Akwa Ibom State and allegedly tricks them into parting with their hard earned money, by presenting fake alerts in Naira to them, after collecting their money.