The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered $13,204, a plot of land, and two cars from an internet fraudster, Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley, who is facing trial for deceiving an American woman, Nicole Kierulff Sayers, into a fake marriage and defrauding her of $370,000.
Nwachi was arrested on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, in Abuja and was arraigned before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama in March on charges related to internet fraud.
The suspect was arraigned before Justice U.P. Kekemeke on two counts related to stealing, obtaining by false pretense, and criminal possession of fake documents. The anti-graft agency, in a statement on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, said that the victim, Sayers, alleged that the defendant lured her into a false marriage and defrauded her of her savings.
"A Second Prosecution Witness, PW2, in the trial of Nwachi Chidozie Kingsley, being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for defrauding an American, Nicole Kierulff Sayers the sum of $370,000 (Three Hundred and Seventy Thousand United States Dollars) in a contrived marriage, Okanne Kelechi, on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, told Justice U.P Kekemeke of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, that the EFCC has recovered the sum of $13,204.00 (Thirteen Thousand, Two Hundred and Four United States Dollars) from the defendant," the statement read.
Also recovered from the defendant is a plot of land in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Lexus Ex 350 and Toyota Venza cars.
The witness, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Fatsuma Muhammad, disclosed that among the evidence against the defendant are "various fraudulent profiles on LinkedIn which he admitted to creating," adding that there was also a fraudulent contract award letter printed from his phone. The same letter was sent to his American victim in chats claiming that the contract was awarded to him by the Federal government.
Kelechi told the court that the investigation into the matter involved writing a letter of investigation of the defendant’s activities to the Forensic Department of the EFCC, several local banks, as well as the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, with the purported contract award letter attached.
He further told the court that a response from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing indicated that the award was not genuine. The defendant admitted sending the fake contract award letter to Sayers and other foreign victims.
"We received our report from the Forensic Department and our findings for his gadgets. The victim, Nicole, also sent evidence of transactions received from international money transfer operators. From other analyses, we discovered that part of this money was sent into his bank account supervised by his sister, one Nwachi Doris Chinenye,” he said.
Tendered in evidence against the defendant were certificate of identification, notice of nominal complaint with copies of intent to award contract and iPhone 11Pro Max.
The PW2 further informed the court that upon confronting the defendant with the evidence, his lawyers responded with a letter for a plea bargain.
“We recovered $13,204, Lexus Ex350, and Toyota Venza," he added.
Justice Kekemeke adjourned the matter till April 30, 2024, for the continuation of the trial.
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