The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, on Tuesday arraigned four individuals before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on charges bordering on internet fraud and money laundering.
The accused persons—Chidera Ezechukwu Praise, Oghomienor Jotham Anirejuoritse, Shittu Gbenga Solomon, and Olamilekan Ibraheem—were arraigned following their arrest during a sting operation by EFCC operatives.
Chidera Ezechukwu Praise faced a two-count charge involving alleged internet fraud and laundering of N75 million, while the other three suspects were each arraigned on separate one-count charges of internet fraud.
One of the charges against Praise reads:
“That you, CHIDERA EZECHUKWU PRAISE, sometime in May 2025 at Lagos, within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, did retain the sum of N12,750,318.63 in your UBA account, which you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act to wit: engaging in online dating scam, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 as amended and punishable under section 14(2) of the same Act.”
Another charge against Oghomienor Jotham Anirejuoritse stated that he fraudulently impersonated a Canadian citizen named Christopher Rozup in 2024, contrary to Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
All four defendants pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them.
Following their pleas, EFCC prosecutors H.U. Kofarnaisa and Fanen Anum called four investigative officers—Abdullahi Abubakar, Adaezi Eghosa, Hamza Lawal, and Nwike Fortune—to review the facts of the case.
In his testimony, Abubakar confirmed that N75 million was traced to Praise’s bank accounts. The prosecution tendered the defendants’ statements, electronic devices, and a vehicle recovered from Shittu Gbenga as exhibits. These were all admitted by the court.
The prosecution also prayed the court to convict the defendants and order the forfeiture of the recovered sums to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Bogoro adjourned the matter to June 13, 2025, for conviction and sentencing. He also ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre pending the next hearing.