EFCC drags Abuja men to court for defrauding American of $2.8m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has dragged two Abuja-based men identified as Ijeboi Dennis, and Obade Monday Christian, before Justice Abubakar Baba Shani of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo.

The suspects, according to the anti-graft agency, were arraigned for falsely obtaining the sum of $2.8 million from an American, Holy Ngo, under the pretense that they are United States (US) doctors stranded in Afghanistan.

Dennis and Christian allegedly committed the crime working with one Ekhoguagbon Osazuwa Patrick, who is still at large and Omage Emmanuel Omole, who had passed away, between January 2021 and September 2021, in Abuja.

The EFCC arraigned the duo on a five count- charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretense on Thursday, November 17, 2022.

Count two of the charge against the defendants reads: “That you, Ijeboi Dennis (aka Andrew Tran Huynh), Obade Monday Christian (aka FBI Commander/Diplomat Director), Ekhoguagbon Osazuwa Patrick (aka Patrick Paul)(still at large) and Omage Emmanuel Omole(now deceased) between January 2021 and September 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, with the intent to defraud, obtained an aggregate sum of $2,8822,860.00(Two Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty Two Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty United States Dollars) from Holy Ngo, a United States Citizens under the false pretense that you are American doctors stranded in Afghanistan, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act,2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Having heard the pleas of the defendants, which were “not guilty”, Justice Shani remanded them at the Suleja Correctional Facility, as he adjourned the matter till Wednesday, January 11, 2023.