EFCC arraigns man over $26, 520 love scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Nwakanma C. Chukwudi before Justice D.V Agishir of a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu on a 12-count charge of cyber crime, obtaining money by false pretence and impersonation.
The 30-year-old accused, who claimed to be a “British national,” named Barry Bernard, is being prosecuted for duping one Donnalynn, a Canadian, whom he met on a dating site.
While the dating lasted, Chukwudi, who also claimed to be resident in Manchester, United Kingdom, had sent several love mails and pictures to Donnalynn, who did not have any cause to doubt him when he requested for 26,520 Canadian dollars from her, having been communicating with him over time.
However, when she later found out that she had been duped, she petitioned the EFCC.
One of the charges reads: ‘‘That you Nwakanma C. Chukwudi (alias Barry Bernard) on or about the June 10, 2014 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud had in your possession (email box- barrybernard777@yahoo.com), a document containing a picture in which you represented yourself as a white man by name Barry Bernard, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 6 and 8 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.’’
However, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Justice Agishir adjourned the matter to April 7 for consideration of the bail application and ordered Chukwudi to be remanded in prison custody.