The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday opened its case against an Akwa Ibom man, Edidiong James, accused of defrauding a foreign national of $41,000 through a romance scam, with a prosecution witness telling the court that the defendant once boasted that the anti-graft agency could not arrest him.
According to a press release by the EFCC, the witness, Unyime Moses, a deputy superintendent of the EFCC testified before Justice Maurine Oyetenu of the Federal High Court in Uyo that investigators recovered incriminating communications from the defendant’s mobile phone linking him to the alleged fraud.
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Ms Moses, the first prosecution witness, said chat records extracted from the phone showed prolonged exchanges between the defendant and a woman identified as Elizabeth, whom the defendant allegedly referred to as “My Everything.”
According to the witness, the conversations contained details of monetary transactions between the pair and revealed that the defendant repeatedly demanded additional payments from the woman despite her requests for a refund of money already sent to him.
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She told the court that one of the messages allegedly sent by Mr James read: “Send me $900 if you want your money back, because if you don’t send me the $900, I won’t give you your money back.”
The witness further testified that when Elizabeth threatened to report him to the EFCC, the defendant dismissed the possibility of being arrested.
“Did you really think the EFCC could arrest me?” the witness quoted him as saying in one of the chats tendered before the court.
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Ms Moses said investigators discovered that the defendant allegedly used false identities while communicating with victims. She told the court that when he was arrested, he identified himself as “Jessy James,” but a subsequent Bank Verification Number check showed the name was not genuine.
She also narrated efforts by investigators to contact Elizabeth during the investigation.
According to her, the victim reacted angrily when contacted and expressed frustration over her dealings with the defendant.
The witness said Elizabeth declined further discussions and insisted any future communication should be through her country’s embassy.
The prosecution tendered several items recovered during the investigation, including an iPhone 15 Pro Max, a Redmi 13 mobile phone and a Lexus ES350 vehicle. The exhibits were admitted by the court.
The statement said Mr James was arrested on 8 October 2025 at his residence on Ring Road 3, off Camp Gee, Uyo, in what the EFCC described as an intelligence-driven operation.
The anti-graft agency said forensic examination of devices recovered from him uncovered communications suggesting that he had allegedly defrauded Elizabeth over a period exceeding three years and received $41,000 from her while continuing to demand additional payments.
Investigators said the defendant claimed during interrogation that he operated a BetNaija outlet established in 2021 and earned income by boosting social media accounts for clients.
He allegedly told investigators that he charged between N30,000 and N40,000 per account and had handled about 20 accounts.
However, the EFCC said it found no evidence to support the claim, including proof of client engagements or account credentials typically required for such services.
The commission further alleged that its investigation revealed Mr James specialised in romance scams and identity theft, using fictitious Facebook and WhatsApp profiles to communicate with foreign victims, including Elizabeth, who was identified as a Hungarian national.
Although the defendant reportedly claimed he benefited only $4,000 from Elizabeth, the EFCC said conversations recovered from his devices suggested he received a substantially higher amount.
Mr James was first arraigned on 30 January 2026 on a three-count charge which he pleaded not guilty.
One charge alleges that he fraudulently obtained $41,000 from Elizabeth and other unsuspecting victims under the false pretence of investing the funds in Bitcoin and foreign exchange trading, contrary to the provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Following cross-examination of the witness, Justice Oyetenu adjourned the matter until 22 and 23 September for continuation of trial.
PREMIUM TIMES recently reported how a Nigerian was extradited to the United States for romance fraud and money laundering.
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