Police arraign 2 women over alleged false pretence, money laundering
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Police have arraigned two women at the Federal High Court over alleged laundering of N75 million in four counts of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, illegal conversion, and money laundering.
Blessing Chima, 47, and Chikamson Williams, 49, were on Wednesday arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa with police prosecutor S.O. Ayodele telling the court that the suspects allegedly committed the offences between 4 and 5 July 2024.
Ayodele alleged that
- Chima obtained N75 in two tranches of N25 million and N50 million from one Lanre Afebuameh under the guise of exchanging the sum for Chinese Yen that she would send to Afebuameh’s clients in China, a representation she knew to be false.
- Williams, sometime in 2024 received N140 million part of which belonged to Afebuameh which was stolen from him by Chima that Williams reasonably ought to have known that it was a proceed of crime but acquired, used, retained and took possession of.
The prosecutor said the offences contravene Sections 1(1) (c) and punishable under Section 1(3), 383, 390 (9), 18 (1) 2(d), 3, 20 (a) & (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act 2006, and Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, per reporting by The Nation.
Ayodele called into the witness box Afebuameh who introduced himself as a businessman dealing in the mining of solid minerals.
Afebuameh told the court how he met Chima who told him that she was a licensed Bureau de Change (BDC) operator, and he did about two transactions with her which went well until the last one became an issue.
He narrated that in the last transaction, he transferred N25 million to the business account of Chima on 4 July 2024 and another N50 million to the same account the following day for the Chinese Yen equivalent of the total N75 million to be transferred to his customers in China.
He said Chima transferred only the Yen equivalent of N3 million to his Chinese customers and continued to give excuses as to why she could not complete the transaction to date.
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