ICPC arraigns ex-Anglican primate impersonator, others over N30.4m fraud

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has arraigned 40-year-old Jehu Kwasu for allegedly impersonating a former Primate of the Anglican Communion, Nicholas Okoh, and three others.

The accused persons were charged to the Federal Capital Territory High Court 32, Apo, Abuja, for allegedly defrauding some prominent and influential Nigerians of N30.4 million.

Other members of the cybercrime syndicate include Etubi Aliyu, Abdulrahman Muazu, and Usman Abdulaziz.

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In the charge brought before Justice C. Oba, the ICPC accused the quartet of impersonating Okoh by faking his Facebook account bearing his picture and name; and using the same account to defraud unsuspecting members of the public by raising funds to purportedly bring home from abroad the corpse of the former Primate’s deceased brother.

The court was also informed of how the accused persons used their bank accounts and that of some of their friends to perpetuate the fraud.

According to a statement on Sunday by the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, titled, ‘ICPC arraigns impersonator of ex-Primate of Anglican Communion, others over N30.4m fraud’, the accused were alleged to have also used some of their accomplices as fronts to withdraw part of the N30.4million paid into their accounts as well as transfer some money to other accounts specifically opened for their illicit transaction.

It said, “The defendants were also accused of using falsified National Identity cards to open numerous fraudulent bank accounts with fake names of individuals to carry out their criminal acts.

“The commission, in a 17-count charge preferred against the first and second defendants; and eight and ninth-count against the third and fourth defendants respectively, averred that their action of obtaining by pretence was contrary to section 1(1) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2010.”

The accused persons reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

Counsels to the first defendant, Sadiq Lawal, and the second, third, and fourth defendants, Abdulrazak Jibril, respectively, prayed the court to grant their clients bail, which was not opposed by the ICPC counsel, Sulaiman Abdulkareem.

The judge admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of N20mn each and two sureties each in like sum. The sureties must have fully developed properties in the FCT.
However, owing to their inability to fulfill the bail conditions, they were remanded in the Kuje Correctional centre.

The case has been adjourned till May 18 and 19, 2022 for the commencement of the hearing.