EFCC Docks Man for $ 26, 520 Love Scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, March 23, 2015 arraigned one Nwakanma C. Chukwudi before Justice D.V Agishir of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu on a 12-count charge bordering on cyber crime, obtaining money by false pretence and impersonation.

The 30-year-old suspect, who claimed to be a “British national” named Barry Bernard, is being prosecuted for duping one Donnalynn, a Canadian, whom he met on a dating site.

In the course of their romantic affair, Chukwudi, who also claimed to be resident in Manchester, United Kingdom, had sent several love mails and pictures to Donnalynn.

Consequently, Donnalynn did not have any course to doubt him when he requested for $26,520 Canadian dollars from her, having been communicating with him over a period of time.

However, when she later found out that she had been duped, she petitioned the EFCC.

One of the charges reads: ‘‘That you Nwakanma C. Chukwudi (alias Barry Bernard) on or about the 10th day of June, 2014 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud had in your possession (email box- [email protected]), a document containing a picture in which you represented yourself as a white man by name Barry Bernard, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.’’

However, the accused person pleaded not guilty to the 12- count charge.

Justice Agishir adjourned the matter to April 7, 2015 for consideration of the bail application and ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody.

Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
24th March, 2015