Court Remands Alleged Identity Theft Fraudster
Justice Musa Kakaki of a Federal High Court, Lagos, Wednesday, ordered the remand of an alleged Internet fraudster, Akpoguma Onome Patrick, who is facing criminal charges of identity theft and fraud, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till February 4, 2025, when his bail application will be heard and determined.
Akpoguma, 28, was recently paraded by the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, for attempting bribe some of it’s operatives with the sum of $100, 000 (approximately N174 million)
Justice Kakaki ordered his remand, after he pleaded not guilty to a seven count-charges of conspiracy, identity theft and impersonation, obtaining money by false pretence and conversion of proceeds of criminal act, made against him by the Officers of Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos.
The prosecutor, Barrister Zebedee Arekhandia, while arraigning the defendant, told the court that the defendant and others now at large, committed the alleged offences between 2020 and 11th November, 2024, at Benin City Edo State, and Block A, Noheem Adams Crescent, Chevy View Estate, Lekki, Lagos State.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendant with an with intent to gain advantage for himself and others, and to obtain money by false pretence from unsuspecting people in Nigeria, United States of America and other countries of the world, fraudulently and dishonestly committed an identity theft and impersonated by creating a Whatsapp and other social media platforms, with the names; Connel Matt Herbert and Adam Taggart, an America citizen.
He was alleged to have used the fake WhatsApp and other social media platforms, to defraud his victims of the total sum of $95, 000, 00 USD, with the pretence of investing the monies in a cryto investment.
Among those allegedly defrauded by the defendant are: Oleg, Connor, Carlos, Mark Alien, Eric Allan, Avere, Lume and Portal Smith.
The prosecutor had told the court that the defendant’s alleged illegal acts, contravened sections Section 8(a); and 1(1) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended).
He also told me court that the defendant’s acts contravened Sections 18 (2)(a)(b)(c) and (d) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following his not guilty plea, the prosecutor, Barrister Arekhandia payed the court to trial date. He also urged the court to remand the defendant pending the conclusion of the matter.
But the defendant’s lawyer, Olatunde Kolawole, informed the court that he had filed his client’s bail application and same has been served on the prosecution.
Responding, the prosecutor told the court that he was served with the bail application while in court today. He therefore asked the court for a short time to file his counter.
Upon hearing submissions of both the prosecutor and the defendant’s counsel, Justice Kakaki adjourned the matter to February 4, 2025, for hearing of the bail application.
The judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the NCoS’ custody.
Some of the charges against the defendant read: “That you Akpoguma Onome Patrick ‘m’, and others now at large, between 2020 and 11th November, 2024, at Benin City Edo State, and Block A, Noheem Adams Crescent, Chevy View Estate, Lekki, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did conspire to commit felony to wit: identity theft and impersonation, obtaining money by false pretence and conversion of proceeds of criminal act, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended).
“That you Akpoguma Onome Patrick ‘m’, and others now at large, on the same date and place, in the aforesaid Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did with intent to gain advantage for yourselves and others, and to obtain money by false pretence from unsuspecting people in Nigeria, United States of America and other countries of the world, which includes Mark Alien, Eric Allan, Avere, Lume Portal Smith, etc., fraudulently and dishonestly commit identity theft and impersonated yourself in Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Telegram and other internet platforms, as Adam Taggart, “a USA citizen”, and while in such identity theft and impersonation, you fraudulently demanded for money for cryto investment from Mark Alien, Eric Allan, Avere, Lume Portal Smith, etc., and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 22 (2) (a), (b) (i), (ii) and (iii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
“That you Akpoguma Onome Patrick ‘m’, and others now at large, on the same date and place, in the aforesaid Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did with intent defraud, fraudulently obtain the sum of $58, 000 USD (Fifty Eight Thousand USA Dollars) from Oleg, Connor, Carlos, on the pretext to them that you needed the money as loan for your “business project in Florida USA”, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
“That you Akpoguma Onome Patrick ‘m’, and others now at large, on the same date and place, in the aforesaid Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did with intent defraud, fraudulently obtain the sum of $37, 500 USD (Thirty Seven, Five Hundred USA Dollars) from Mark Alien, Eric Allan, Avere, Lume Portal Smith, on the pretext to them that you needed the money for cryto investment, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
“That you Akpoguma Onome Patrick ‘m’, and others now at large, on the same date and place, in the aforesaid Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did convert to your own use and benefits, the sum of $37,500 USD (Thirty Seven, Five Hundred USA Dollars) you fraudulently obtained from Mark Alien, Eric Allan, Avere, Lume Portal Smith, which you knew or reasonably ought to have known was proceed of criminal act, to wit: identity theft and impersonation, and obtaining property by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2)(a)(b)(c) and (d) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
