EFCC Arraigns Mother, Son for N64.4m Fraud

Court

By JUMOKE SANNI

…Fraudster Bags Jail Term for N9m Fraud in Port Harcourt

The Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on Thursday, May 22, 2025 arraigned one Ifeoma Joe and her 34-year-old son, Chima Mike Nmerem before Justice P. I . Ajoku of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State for fraud.

They are being prosecuted on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, misrepresentation, advance fee fraud and obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N64.4m.

One of the charges reads: “That you Ifeoma Joe between the 10th day of September, 2024 to 17th day of December, 2024 at Oyigbo Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the aggregate sum of Sixty Four Million, Four Hundred and Eighty Six Thousand One Hundred and Eighty Naira (N64, 486, 180) only, from Mrs Felicia Ekwutasi Ikeh; which money was paid into account No:0024475760 domiciled with Access Bank Plc and operated by Chima Mike Nmerem, under the pretence that the sum was requested by one Dr. Uma Ukpai for spiritual cleansing and settlement of detectives in a murder case in the United States of America which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

They pleaded “guilty” when the charges were read to them, following which prosecution counsel K. U. Udus called for a review of the case and informed the court of the presence of a prosecution witness who was ready to testify, but Justice Ajoku for want of time, adjourned the matter till May 28, 2025 for the review of facts of the case and ordered that the defendants be remanded in custody of the EFCC.