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EFCC Arraigns Uwa Over N44m Employment Scam …Jails Two Internet Fraudsters, Others
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Anthony Uwa along with his companies: Okmar Consultancy limited and Dermo Impex Nigeria Limited for employment scam.
He was charged with a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence and employment scam to the tune of N44,235,700.
Uwa was alleged to have, at various times, collected the said sum from 52,000 job applicants on the pretext that he will employ them.
One of the counts reads: “That you Anthony Uwa and Dermo Impex Nigeria Limited between July, 2020 and September, 2020, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain the sum of N44, 235,700, from 50,000 job applicants under the false pretence that you will employ them, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to him.
Given his pleas, prosecuting counsel, Y.Y. Tarfa requested a trial date, and prayed the court to remand the defendant.
But the defence counsel, Charles U. Ikechukwu moved a motion, praying the court to grant his client bail pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Justice Z. B. Abubakar granted the defendant bail in the sum of N25million and one surety in like sum.
The surety must be of good character and have a title document within the jurisdiction of the court.
He is also to deposit two recent passports each to the court registrar.
Consequently, the matter was adjourned till May 24, 2022, for trial.
Similarly, two Internet fraudsters, Enaboakpe Robert and Omorovbiye Osemwegie, have been jailed for five years each, in separate trials.
Robert, alias Engineer Eric Cheng, was arraigned on one-count charge by the Benin Zonal Command of the EFCC for fraudulent impersonation.
The lone-count charge read: “That you Enaboakpe Robert (alias Engineer Eric Cheng) or about the 16th day of May, 2021 at No. 22 Police Station Road, Agenebode, Edo State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Engineer Eric Cheng, a white man, by sending the following Gmail addresses Robertbliss27@gmail.com rulemaxwell10@gmail.com and unitednationsyrial72@gmail.com and fraudulently represented yourself as a white man from California in United State of America, the representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2) (b) (i) and (ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2) (b)(iv) of the same Act”.
Upon arraignment, he pleaded guilty to the charge.
In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Ibrahim Mohammed, prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
Justice C.A. Obiozor convicted and sentenced the defendant to five years imprisonment with an option of fine of N500,000 only.
In addition, the judge ordered the defendant to forfeit his mobile phone to the Federal Government of Nigeria and undertake in writing to be of good behaviour henceforth.
In a similar development, Justice F.A. Olubanjo of the Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State convicted and sentenced Osemwegie to five years imprisonment for fraud.
The one-count charge read : “that you Omorovbiye Best Osemwegie sometime in November 2020 at Benin City, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, sent electronic message which materially misrepresented your identity to Wang Jun, a Chinese woman upon which she relied and suffered financial loss in a sum of $3,000,00 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2) (b) (ii)of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22(2) (b)(iv) of the same Act.
In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, I.K. Agwai prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
Justice Olubanjo convicted and sentenced the defendant to five years imprisonment with an option of fine of N500,000 only.
The judge also ordered the convict to forfeit the balance of money in his bank account, one Mercedes Benz C300 2015 model and a mobile phone to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
He is also to undertake in writing to be of good behaviour henceforth.
The convicts’ journey to the Correctional Centre started when they were arrested by operatives of the Benin Zonal Command of the EFCC for impersonating foreigners to commit Internet- related crimes.
Robert impersonated an American while Osemwegie impersonated a Chinese.
Meanwhile, the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,has secured the conviction of one Adeshina Michael Oluwafemi from Ekiti State, for posing as a white man in an attempt to defraud his unsuspecting victims.
Adeshina was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment by Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin after the judge found him guilty of one count charge levelled against him by the commission.
The charge reads: “That you, Adeshina Michael Oluwafemi (aka Viki Ron) Sometime in May 2020 or thereabout at Ilorin, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court attempted to commit an offence of cheating by personation by pretending and representing yourself to be a white man called Viki Ron who was in relationship with a white woman, Carol Richard as it is contained in your Gmail account: ronv553@gmail.comand thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 95 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria”.
The defendant pleaded guilty when the charge was read to him.
Following his guilty plea, counsel to the EFCC, Aliyu Adebayo, called a witness who is an operative of the EFCC to review the facts of the case.
The witness narrated how the defendant was arrested based on credible intelligence.
The witness tendered the defendant’s Huawei Phone, fraudulent messages printed from his device as well as his extra-judicial statements and were admitted in evidence.
Adebayo, thereafter, urged the court to consider the plea of the defendant, the extra-judicial statements and all the exhibits tendered to convict the defendant as charged.
In his judgment, Justice Akinpelu said the court was satisfied with the case of the prosecution, and pronounced Adeshina guilty as charged.
The judge sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment with an option of a fine of N100,000only.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s Huawei Phone which was used to perpetrate the crime to the Federal Government.
The Organised Labour yesterday, called on the Federal Government to ensure inclusiveness in policy making and guide against erosion of rights, such as free speech and association.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero made the call at the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration held at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja.
The Tide source reports Ajaero and the President, Trade Union Congress, Mr Festus Osifo delivered a joint statement on behalf of the organised labour at the event.
Ajaero described May Day as, not only a moment to honour workers’ sacrifices, but also a platform to demand justice and accountability from those in public office.
He frowned at the alleged suppression of protests, and the erosion of rights of workers by some agents
According to him, workers have a duty to resist economic injustice, insecurity, and policies that undermine their dignity.
Speaking on the theme of the day, the NLC President underscored the need for Nigerian workers to reclaim the civic space and resist policies that contribute to worsening economic conditions.
“Our theme this year – “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the midst of Economic Hardship – reflects the urgent need for citizens to protect democracy and push back against repression.
“The civic space, where Nigerians express their concerns and challenge injustices is shrinking.
“If we fail to reclaim this space, the foundation of our democracy risks collapse,” he said
Ajaero, therefore, urged workers to unite and resist division, fear, and despair.
He also urged them to mobilise and organise for change, declaring that the right to demand better conditions is non-negotiable.
“Without workers, there is no society; without labour, there is no development. We must take our place in the fight for economic justice and democratic governance.”
Speaking in the same veins, Osifo said workers are the backbone of the nation—the educators, healthcare providers, builders, farmers, and innovators who sustain its economy -.
He stressed the need for the labour to reclaim the civic space even in the midst of economic hardship.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disassociated itself from a fraudulent site requesting payments from candidates who missed the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The board said that the site, “Copyrightwriter Personal J Rescheduling Flw” and account number 8520641017 at Sterling Bank, associated with it, are scam.
The disclaimer is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin said the account is being exploited to defraud unsuspecting candidates who missed their UTME.
“We issue this urgent notice to inform the public about this nefarious scheme targeting candidates who were unable to participate in the UTME.
“Some unscrupulous individuals are deceitfully soliciting payments of N15,700 under the false pretence of offering rescheduling services for the examination.
“Let us be unequivocal: this, it is a blatant scam, and we are confident that the public will not fall prey to such cheap and regressive tactics.
” The individuals behind this scam have no affiliation with JAMB or any legitimate government agency.
“The account details provided in these communications are entirely fictitious and bear no connection to any official processes; they exist solely for the purpose of perpetrating fraud,” he said.
Benjamin called on Sterling bank to take immediate and decisive action against this criminal activity.
According to him, JAMB has reported the matter to the relevant security agencies and actively pursuing those responsible for this deceitful act.
He further said that “JAMB does not reschedule examinations for candidates who miss their scheduled tests due to reasons unrelated to the Board’s actions”.
He, however, said that the Board is conducting a thorough investigation for candidates whose biometrics failed during verification and were thus unable to sit for the examination.
He said those without discrepancies would be invited to retake the examination at no cost , stressing that “no cost is required”
“It is imperative to understand that JAMB does not charge any fees for examinations after a candidate has completed their registration.
“We strongly urge all candidates to remain vigilant and not to succumb to these fraudulent schemes.
“Protect yourselves and report any suspicious activity immediately,” he explained.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has expressed its willingness to partner with the United Nations (UN) to accelerate the development of the Niger Delta region.
Dr Samual Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, made the appeal in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on yesterday.
According to the statement, Ogbuku sought the UN’s support during his visit to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (UNRHC), Mr Mohammed Fall, at the UN regional office in Abuja.
He called on the global body to provide the NDDC with technical assistance and expert services to support the region’s development.
“We are eager to collaborate with the UN, recognising that the state governments in the region and the NDDC alone cannot achieve the level of regional development required,” he said.
Ogbuku identified key areas where support would be needed, including the provision of portable and affordable drinking water powered by high-tech solar energy sources.
He also highlighted the importance of reforesting the mangrove swamps, which have been severely damaged by decades of environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
“Although the NDDC has made progress in providing solar-powered streetlights across the region, we still require UN support in delivering solar energy solutions for residential buildings.
“We also wish to explore the possibility of installing solar mini-grids in homes across communities, which would boost local commerce and trade,” he added.
The NDDC managing director further appealed for increased UN involvement in areas such as healthcare, education, youth training, gender development, and food security.
Ogunku stated that such interventions would significantly enhance the standard of living in the region.
In response, Fall affirmed the UN’s readiness to collaborate with the NDDC to fast track development in the Niger Delta.
He assured that the UN would support initiatives in food security, job creation, education, and renewable energy, among other areas.
“We aim to approach development in the Niger Delta holistically, rather than focusing solely on environmental pollution.
“This is merely an entry point; however, the UN’s development vision aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to positively impact various aspects of people’s lives,” Fall stated.
He assured the NDDC of continued and fruitful engagements to drive the region’s development.