EFCC arraigns man for duping his Swiss girlfriend of $127m after promising to marry her

A suspected fraudster, Emeofa Michael Ikechukwu (Alias Michael Briggs) was on March 10, 2015 docked before Justice H.A Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court Port Harcourt, Rivers State by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 9-count charge bordering on personation, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of more than $127,457. 

The accused person allegedly obtained the sum from his Swiss girlfriend whom he tricked into investing in a non- existent timber business. Ikechukwu allegedly met his victim on a dating site in February 2013 and struck a relationship that blossomed into promise of marriage. “Michael Briggs”, introduced himself to his victim as a timber tycoon who was in Nigeria to close a business deal. He later informed her that he was having some difficulties with Nigerian officials and requested for loan from her. He later sent various scam documents to her, offering her partnership in his timber business in Nigeria.

By the time she realised that she was dealing with a trickster, she had lost over $100,000 to the accused. One of the count reads: “That you Emeofa Michael Ikechukwu (Alias Michael Briggs) sometime in April , 2013, in Port Harcourt and within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intend to defraud, did obtain the sum of $77,003.95 (seventy seven thousand, three dollar ninety five cents) from one Hengameh Misepasi and which you purportedly claimed to be a business partner dealing with timber which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act”. 

The accused person pleaded no guilty to the charges. In view of the plea of the accused, the prosecuting counsel Sadiq Hussain applied for a date for trial . The judge remanded the accused in prison and adjourned the case to May 16, 2015 for hearing of bail application.