How Nigerian woman allegedly defrauded victim of N19m, €8,370 for UK certificate

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its operatives have arrested a Nigerian woman, Sophina Mbah, for allegedly defrauding a victim of N19 million as well as €8,370.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Oyewale said Ms Mbah allegedly obtained the funds by false pretence under the pretext of procuring a Certificate of Sponsorship, (CoS) for his victim.

The spokesperson said operatives from the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the EFCC arrested the 33-year-old suspect after the victim petitioned the anti-graft agency over the matter.

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He did not, however, indicate when and where the suspect was arrested.

“Sophina, 33, was arrested following claims of the petitioner that sometime in 2024, he informed the suspect whom he met on Tik-Tok, of his intention to relocate to the United Kingdom through a CoS in order to work as a care giver.

“The suspect, who claimed to be an assistant psychologist at Priory Health Unit in Glasgow, Scotland also claimed that she had contacts who could secure a CoS at the cost of €12, 000 to €13,000,” Mr Oyewale said.

“She instructed that payments be made partly in Nigerian Naira and partly in Euros.

“She provided her bank details for Naira payments and the foreign accounts of her associates for Euro payments, claiming she does not use her personal foreign accounts for business transactions,” the EFCC spokesperson quoted the victim as saying.

Mr Oyewale said the victim reported that he paid the sum of N19 million in eight tranches between 8 August and 12 November 2024 while the Euro payments were made in four tranches between 12 August and 21 November 2024.

He said the victim further mentioned that the said payments were made for processing his UK CoS, but the suspect failed to deliver the document as promised after months despite acknowledging receipt of the payments.

The EFCC spokesperson said the victim subsequently requested for a refund but the suspect sent a fake transfer notification and then blocked him on social media.

“In the course of investigation, the suspect claimed that the money was handed over to another individual but has been nonchalant in assisting the investigators in reaching the person,” Mr Oyewale said.

“The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”

Prohibited in Nigeria

Obtaining money or goods or any benefits by false pretence is outlawed in Section (419) of Nigeria Criminal Code Act.

Offenders, on conviction, face a minimum of three years imprisonment, according to the section of the Act.

The court may also order restitution of the money or property, upon conviction.

READ ALSO: EFCC arraigns man, firm over alleged phoney $1.5m oil investment

Several people have been convicted for obtaining by false pretence and other fraud-related offences.

In August 2022 for instance, a Federal High Court in Ebonyi State sentenced a man to 28 years imprisonment for fraud, including a 12 years jail term for obtaining money by false pretence.

The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, in 2024, sentenced Marco Ramirez, an American businessman, to 10 years imprisonment in dual cases of fraud and theft, including obtaining by false pretence.