Admin l Monday, September 03, 2018
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC )today arraigned three businessmen before a Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja for $283, 440 about N 102,038, 400 fraud. The accused persons Prince Martins Nwaedi (aka Prince Martins Dike), 48, Oliseh Dike Anthony (aka Lawrence Mhkize, Terry Cassidy, Okolie Anthony, Dike Anthony), 38, Victor Onyebuchi Okafor, 43 and Marydicc Ventures Limited were docked for allegedly defrauding an Indian man, Mr Khanh Lai of the sum of $146, 060.
According to the EFCC, the businessmen connived among themselves to defraud Mr khanh Lai of the said sum on the pretext of helping him to secure an investment in Nigeria worth $200m belonging to one late John Alex Ivan, a United States National, who resides and died in Nigeria.
The commission alleged that the trio initially obtained the sum of $137, 380 in March 2012 as the cost of investment deposit certificate worth N200m and later demanded a legal fee of $8,680 cash deposit in March 2015 from the victim. The trio, who pleaded not guilty, were however arraigned on a nine count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretense, forgery and use of forged document.
According to the EFCC lawyer, Zainab Ettu, the trio committed the offence sometime between March 2012 and June 2015 in Lagos. Zainab said that the offences contravened Sections 1(1)(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006.
As contained in the charge sheet, “the trio, on or about March 1, 2012 in Lagos fraudulently used a forged Federal Republic of Nigeria International passport number A0408155 in the name of Cassidy Terry Ego as genuine.
“Also, on March 21, 2015 the trio knowingly forged the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) payment extension document and purported same to have been signed by one Mr Emmanuel Obeta for Revenue Director”. Justice Oyindamola Ogala thereafter adjourned the matter till September 6 for hearing of bail application.
