By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
An alleged serial facebook hacker, Vincent Harrison Chukwuemeka arraigned on Friday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has been remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Vincent Harrison Chukwuemeka was docked on one count charge of fraud to the tune of N407,000 fraud.
In the charge, the defendant was alleged to have defrauded one Felicity Felix Ekpezu the sum of N407,000, with the name ‘Lisa’ as representative of Facebook and WhatsApp from the United States of America.
The complainant Felicity Felix Ekpezu (f) petitioned the Anti-graft agency on January 5, 2020, alleging that on December 26, 2019 she received strange chats on WhatsApp from the defendant who claimed to be a female representative of Facebook and WhatsApp from the United States of America, by name Lisa.
The complainant alleged that the defendant informed her that she had won $971 and an Iphone 6s, and requested her to pay N407,000 to redeem the items.
But after making the payment to the defendant, the complainant said she started receiving calls from her friends and family members accusing her of duping them using her Facebook account.
According to the complainant, it was at this point that it dawned on her that “Lisa” had hacked her Facebook account and duped her friends and family members.
The defendant who was arrested on October 17, 2020, in his apartment at Ogidi Local Government Area of Anambra state, confessed to crime during investigation but pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned.
In view of his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Nwandu Ukoha, asked the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service pending commencement of his trial.The judge ordered as prayed.
The one-count charge against Chukwuemeka reads; “That you Vincent Harrison Chukwuemeka “M” on or about the 26th of December, 2019 at Uyo within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of N407,000.00 (Four hundred and seven thousand naira only) from one Felicity Felix Ekpezu “F” under the pretence that you are Lisa a representative of Facebook and WhatsApp and that the said Felicity Felix Ekpezu had won $971 and an Iphone 6s thereby requesting her to pay some money into your account in order to redeem the prize she won which she did, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
