The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Uyo Zonal Office, on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, arraigned one Inwang James John, before Justice A. A. Okeke, of the Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.
Inwang ran into troubled waters when one Peter Eyakeno Sunday, filed petitioned before the EFCC alleging scam in issuance of Visa. Sequel to the petition, the operatives moved into action and arrested the suspect.
According to the defendant, he approached the accused for assistance in processing Visa to Ireland for studies, but instead of the defendant to help him procure an Ireland Visa, he took advantage of the victim and conspired with one Chikamnele Polycarp Chinenye, who is currently at large and allegedly defrauded Eyakeno Sunday to the tune of N1, 299,000.00 (One Million, Two Hundred and Ninety Nine Thousand Naira), under the pretence that the money would be used to process the Visa and also pay his Tuition fees, which he never did.
Investigation into the matter also revealed that the accused person and his accomplice obtained an additional sum of N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only), from the same victim under the guise that the money would be used to procure his flight ticket.
One of the counts reads that “That you, Inwang James John ‘M’ and Chikamnele Polycarp Chinenye Alias Polycarp Mbawuike ‘M’ (now at large), sometime in July, 2017, in Uyo, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, conspired among yourselves to obtain the sum of N1,299,000.00 (One Million, Two Hundred and Ninety Nine Thousand Naira), only from one Peter Eyakeno Sunday under the false pretence that the money was to be used to process Visa and Tuition fees to study in Ireland, the pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (8) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to both counts preferred against him by the EFCC.
The prosecution counsel, Mrs. A. S. Abuh, in view of the accused plea, prayed the court to remand the accused person in prison until the trial date for the prosecution to prove its case against the accused.
The presiding Judge, Justice Okeke, before adjourning the case to May 6, 2019, ordered that the accused be remanded in Uyo prison till the adjourned date.