The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday arraigned a man, Opeoluwa Sennaike, before an Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos State for alleged $5 million and N800 million cyber security fraud.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the accused was arraigned alongside his firm, Sennaike Consulting Limited.
They were arraigned on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, stealing and possession of false documents.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The EFCC alleged that the defendant fraudulently obtained the sums from unsuspecting members of the society.
After the arraignment, counsel to the EFCC, Ahmed Yerima, prayed the court for a trial date, adding that it should remand the defendant.
The Defence counsel, Akeem Akinroye, however, made an oral application for the bail of the defendant.
Akinroye said that the defendant would not run away.
Justice Olubusola Okunuga held that the court needed a formal bail application.
Okunuga ordered that the defendant should be kept at the Ikoyi custodial facility pending his formal bail application.
The judge adjourned the case until June 28 for commencement of trial.
The EFCC alleged that the defendant deceitfully obtained an aggregate sum of $5 million from unsuspecting members of the public, who thought that the sum was an investment for protection of a developed cyber security software for onward delivery to the United States of America.
The commission also alleged that the defendant fraudulently collected an aggregate sum of N800 million from Messrs Olugbenga Ojo and Benson Ogungbamiwa, as well as other unsuspecting members of the public, who understood the sum to be an investment for the protection of a developed cyber security software for onward delivery to the US.
It also claimed that the defendant forged a document printed from his laptop, entitled: “Executive Office of the President of The United States,” dated November 2, 2021.
The commission alleged that the defendant also printed other documents containing forged conversations made between Kamala Harris, representative of the Government of the US and Mr Olugbemiga Ojo, President of Langberg Inc, in order to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
Kamala Harris is the Vice President of the United States of America.
The alleged offences contravene Sections 6, 8 (b) 1 (3), 363 (3) (d) and(e) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act of 2006, and Section 278 (2) (a) and (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
