The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a woman, Catherine Ijeoma Ugwu, for allegedly defrauding a man of N6.8 million under false pretenses in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Ugwu was brought on Monday before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri.
The EFCC’s Maiduguri Zonal Directorate charged her with four counts related to obtaining by false pretenses, criminal misappropriation, and cheating by impersonation.
One of the charges reads, “That you Catherine Ijeoma Ugwu between the period of June, 2023 to August, 2024 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the aggregate sum of N6,710,300.00 (Six Million Seven Hundred and Ten Thousand Three Hundred Naira) from Emmanuel Ani into your bank account: 1778806195 domiciled with Access Bank plc. under the pretence that same is meant for the upkeep of his purported fiancée, one Miss Chinansa, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud related Offences Act, 2006.”
Ugwu pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to her. Prosecuting counsel S.O. Saka and Faruku Muhammad requested a trial date and urged the court to remand her in a correctional facility.
Justice Kumaliya adjourned the case to April 8, 2025, for trial and ordered that Ugwu be remanded.
The EFCC explained that Ugwu’s ordeal began after she allegedly impersonated the fiancée of the petitioner, Emmanuel Ani, and collected N6.8 million from him. When confronted, she could neither account for nor return the money.
The case will proceed with trial next month.
