EFCC arraigns corps member over ‘$500 love scam’

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin zonal office, has arraigned Sam Abiola, a corps member, alongside Adebiyi Sodiq over alleged involvement in love scam.

In a statement by Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC’s spokesman, the duo were arraigned before Adenike Akinpelu, judge of Kwara high court in Ilorin, on Monday.

According to the commission, Abiola, who is serving in Kogi, was arraigned on a one-count charge while Sodiq was tried on a four-count charge.

Abiola was accused of posing as a white female with the name Missie Bonie to swindle a man named Rock of $550 by claiming he loved him.

“That you, Sam Abiola (Missie Bonie) sometime between July,  2019 and September,  2019 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did cheat by personation when you pretended to be one Missie Bonie a white female with Gmail account, [email protected] and fraudulently deceived one Rick to send $550  (Five Hundred and Fifty Dollars) to you through gift card after you made him believe you were in love with him,” the charge read.

EFCC Docks Corps Member, One Other Over Alleged Love Scam pic.twitter.com/XV9PnTpaXA

— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) February 1, 2021

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The commission said the corps member’s action contravened “section 321 of the penal code and punishable under section 324 of the same penal code”.

It also accused Sodiq of violating “section 324 of the penal code and punishable under the same section of the law” for disguising as a white female named Maria to collect money from a man in August 2020.

The pair pleaded guilty to the charges when they appeared before the court on Monday.

The prosecuting counsels for the EFCC thereafter invited officials of the commission into the witness box to review the facts against the defendants before the court while the documents presented were admitted in evidence.

Akinpelu then discharged the witnesses and fixed February 11 for judgement.