A Nigerian man identified as Iyonsi Timeyin Timothy has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Office over fraud and obtaining of money by false pretence.
The suspect was arraigned before Justice Sherifat Solebo of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos, on a two-count charge bordering on possession of fraudulent documents and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of $4,500.
One of the counts reads:
“That you, Iyonsi Timeyin Timothy , sometime in September, 2019, in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of $4,500.00 (Four Thousand, Five Hundred Dollars) from one Julia Zagorski under the false pretense to wit: “romance scam”, which pretence you knew to be false and committed an offence contrary to Sections 1 (1) (a)and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No: 14 of 2006.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges following which prosecution counsel, K. Uduak, asked the court for a trial date, and for the defendant be remanded in Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), facility.