By Patrick Ahanor
Benin
Two suspected fraudsters, Gabriel Osereme Xavi (a.k.a. Collins Page) and Aikhaituamen Best Junior Cyril, have been arraigned before Justice E.F. Ikponmwen of the Edo State High Court sitting in Benin, on charges bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
While Xavi was slammed with a 12-count charge, Aikhaituamen was docked on 6-count charge.
The accused persons are alleged to have fleeced a 49-year-old Belgian nurse, Goryczka Janina, whom they met on Facebook, of the sum of €55,500.
The victim reportedly met one of the accused persons sometime in January, 2014, who introduced himself as “Collins Page”, a Croatian Engineer resident in Wigan, England.
Within days of their meeting, “Page” contacted her with the story that he was in Nigeria to supervise a construction project in Edo State and that he was having difficulty with his credit card as it had been blocked for security reasons.
He solicited Janina’s assistance for desperate cash.
Over the next few weeks, Janina kept sending him money until she had transferred a total of €61,500 through one Emmanuel Okoh based in Cape Town, South Africa and Messrs Junior Best and Cyril Ojiemen.
When ‘Mr. Page’ pressurized her for more money, Janina confided in a friend who told her that she might have fallen into the hands of scammers.
The duo however pleaded not guilty to the charges after they were read to them.
In view of the plea of the accused persons, prosecuting counsel, G. K. Latono asked for a trial date and prayed the court to remand them in prison custody.
Counsel to the first accused person, P. E. Onobun and counsel to the second accused C. N. Dike prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable them file applications for bail.
Justice Ikponmwen adjourned the case to December 8, 2014, for consideration of bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
