EFCC arraigns two for Internet fraud in Lagos

Glory Ebomah

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on February 21, 2022, arraigned the duo of Samuel Ayotunde Balogun and Sodiq Muraina Olarenwaju before Justice A. O. Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on separate charges bordering on possession of documents containing false pretence.

The charge preferred against Balogun reads that the defendant “sometime in 2022 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court directly made a false statement wherein you held yourself as one Murry Johnson in your Instagram account knowing same to be false and with the intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instrument to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22 (3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc.) Act, 2015.

Olarenwaju is accused of having in his possession a document containing false pretence titled “Google Account’, “wherein you held yourself as a white man named “Williams Sunday” an information you knew to be false contrary to Section 6 and 5(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”.

Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the defendants pleaded not guilty to the respective charges.

Justice Awogboro ordered the defendants remanded in the Ikoyi

Correctional facility and adjourned the matter till February 28, 2022, and March 9, 2022, for commencement of trial.