EFCC Arraigns Man for Fraud

Samuel Nwairoegbu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Friday October 2, 2015 arraigned one Nwairoegbu Samuel (Alias Dr. Reuben Heart) before Justice I. E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court Port-Harcourt, Rivers State on a 14-count charge bordering on employment scam and obtaining by false pretence.

Samuel allegedly defrauded one Corporal Efut Efut of the Nigerian Police Force to the tune of N262,500.00.

It was alleged that the accused who presented himself as a Police Constable and Shell Petroleum Representative collected several thousand naira from the victim under the pretext that he was capable of procuring for him Shell Petroleum and Development Company Police Special duties Deployment.

Count one of the charge reads:
“That you Nwairoegbu Samuel ( Alias- Dr. Reuben Heart, Alias- Emmanuel Bright) on or about the 26th July, 2013 at Shell Residential Area Branch Port-Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N20,000.00 (Twenty Thousand Naira) for “Police Safety and Maritime certificate”, from Corporal Efut Efut of the Nigerian police force, by false pretence, when you represented yourself as a Police Constable and Shell Petroleum Representative capable of procuring for him the Shell Petroleum and Development Company Police Special Duties Deployment in Rivers State, which pretence 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 of 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him.

Following his plea, the defence counsel, N. Nda Wonodi, through an oral application, urged the court to admit the accused to bail.

However, counsel to EFCC, F. A. I Asemebo, kicked on the ground that the defence ought to have made his application formal for him to respond accordingly.

Justice Ekwo, while turning down the bail application, ordered the defence to formalise the application and ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody.

The case has been adjourned to December 2 and 3, 2015 for hearing of the bail application and trial.

Source: Sahara Reporters