EFCC arraigns couple for alleged fraud in Akwa Ibom

The Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission on Tuesday arraigned a man ,
Gabriel Ikpenwa , and his wife, Lillian Ikpenwa , before
Justice Archibong Archibong of the Akwa Ibom State
High Court for fraud .
They were arraigned alongside a cooperative society ,
Easycash Multipurpose , owned by Gabriel , on two
counts of conspiracy and obtaining money by false
pretences . couple started their journey to the dock when one
Maria Umana on February 22 , 2018 , petitioned the
EFCC , alleging that in 2013 , the couple lured her into
investing N 450 , 000 in their cooperative society , with
the promise that she would receive N 67 , 500 on a
monthly basis as interest .
For five years , however , the defendants neither paid
the victim the interest nor returned her capital .
The charges read in part , “ That you , Gabriel Chizoba
Ikpenwa , Lillian Nkechi Ikpenwa , and Easycash
Multipurpose Cooperative Society, sometime in 2013 at
Uyo , within the jurisdiction of this honourable court ,
with intent to defraud , did obtain the sum of N 450 , 000
only from one Maria Ebong Umana , under the pretext
that if the said Maria Ebong Umana invested the sum
of N 450 , 000 , she would gain interest of N 67 , 000
monthly , the pretences you knew to be false , thereby
committing an offence . ”
The couple pleaded not guilty .
The prosecutor , N . Ukoha , asked for a trial date and
urged the court to remand the couple in prison .
The defence counsel , C . I . Udoh , informed the court of
a bail application for the second defendant , Lilian ,
pending before the court .