21-year-old lady remanded for defrauding German of N110m

A 21-year-old lady, Cynthia Atuonah, has been remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for allegedly defrauding a German of N110m.

Atuonah was remanded on Monday by Justice Yelim Bogoro after the judge took the defendant’s plea.

The defendant is facing five counts charge on obtaining by false pretences, fraud and unlawful conversation preferred against her by the Police Special Fraud Unit.

The prosecutor, Henry Obiazi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences between January and February 2022.

Obiazi said the defendant succeeded in defrauding the victim with false claims that she wanted to invest in Spa business.

He told the court that the defendant received the monies in tranches of $10,000; $50,000; $100, 000; and $45,000, respectively.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defendant’s lawyer, N Ugo, informed the court of his client’s bail application, urging the court to grant her bail in the most liberal terms.

In his response, the prosecutor urged the court to discountenance the bail application.

Justice Bogoro ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services till May 19, when a ruling will be delivered on the bail application.