A 37-year-old Internet Fraudster popularly called Yahoo-Yahoo-Boy, Vincent Akintunde Abiodun, has been arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of a Lagos State High Court for defrauding a New Zealand woman of the sum of $267,000, (about N5M).
Abiodun who was dragged to the court by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, January 23, 2017, on
an amended charge bordering on forgery and obtaining money by false
pretence, was said to have defrauded the victim, D. Bonnici of the sum while claiming to be one Christopher Williams from the United Kingdom.
According to the EFCC, Abiodun, an HND holder from
Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, had met the victim on a dating
site on the Internet and after chatting for a while, she allegedly fell
in love with him.
The victim in a petition sent to the EFCC, said
Abiodun started collecting money from her after he claimed he was in
possession of gemstone worth $18,050,000 which he purportedly inherited
from his father.
She further said that the accused hoodwinked her into believing that he
was coming to New Zealand to settle down with her and sent the money to
accounts in Malaysia and Nigeria belong to persons bearing Norisha, Jalan Klan, and Mohammed Haizam Bin Fauzin, whom Abiodun claimed were his friends and business associates.
When the 14 counts were read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty and in view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Sesan Ola, prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison custody, opposing the bail application filed by defence counsel, O.P. Daramola,
on the grounds that Abiodun had attempted to travel to the United
States while on administrative bail and was similarly denied a Canadian
visa
Justice Ipaye consequently dismissed the bail
application and ordered that the suspect be remanded in Kirikiri Prison
while adjourning the case to March 7 and 8, 2017, for trial.
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