A woman, identified as Nkechi Mercy Ikogwe together with two companies, Elites Finance Investment Limited and Efinc Global Investment Limited, allegedly scammed victims of ₦179m.
They were arraigned before Justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday.
The Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the suspects on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
According to reports, the woman used the sum of ₦139,704,097 of the ₦179 million to play sport betting and also paid a tithe of ₦1 million to a church in Port Harcourt.
One of the counts against the defendants read:
“That you Nkechi Mercy Ikogwe, Elites Finance Investment Limited and Efinc Global Investment Limited sometime in 2019 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N179,326,386.62 by inducing unsuspecting members of the public to invest with your companies:
“Elites Finance Investment Limited and Efinc Global Investment Limited, assuring them under a false pretence of making 15% interest on all investment made, a representation you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
Justice Obile ordered that the 1st defendant, Nkechi Ikogwe, be remanded in the custody of the prosecution.
Obile then adjourned the matter till 19th of October 2020, for determination of the bail application.
Trouble began for Mercy when the commission got a report about the defendant and two others who scammed unsuspecting victims.
They were accused of convincing their victims into partaking in a false investment scheme with a fake promise of a 15 per cent interest on investment.