EFCC arraigns man for alleged $5m, N800m cyber security fraud

By Adenike Ayodele

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)   on Tuesday arraigned a man, Opeoluwa  Sennaike, before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, for alleged five million dollars and N800 million  cyber security fraud.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sennaike was arraigned alongside his firm, Sennaike Consulting Ltd. on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, stealing and possession of false documents.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

EFCC alleges that the defendant fraudulently obtained the sums  from unsuspecting members of the society.

After the arraignment,  counsel to  EFCC, Mr Ahmed Yerima,   prayed the court for a trial date,  adding that it should remand the defendant.

Defence counsel, Mr Akeem Akinroye, however, made an oral application for the bail of the defendant.

Akinroye said that the defendant  would not run away.

Justice Olubusola Okunuga held that the court needed a formal bail application.

Okunuga  ordered that the defendant  should be kept at the Ikoyi  custodial facility pending  his formal bail application.

The judge adjourned the case until June 28 for commencement of trial.

The EFCC alleges that the defendant deceitfully obtained an aggregate sum of  five million  dollars from unsuspecting members of the public, who thought that the sum was an investment for protection of a developed cyber security software for onward delivery to the U.S.

The commission also alleges that the defendant fraudulently collected an  aggregate sum of N800 million  from  Messrs Olugbenga Ojo and Benson Ogungbamiwa, as well as other unsuspecting members of the public, who understood the sum to be an investment for the protection of a developed cyber security software for onward delivery to the U.S.

It also  claims that the defendant forged a document printed from his laptop and entitled “Executive Office of the President of The United States”, dated Nov. 2, 2021.

The commission alleges  that the defendant also  printed other documents containing forged conversations made between Kamala Harris, representative of the Government of the U.S. and Mr Olugbemiga Ojo, President  of Langberg Inc. in order to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

The alleged offences contravene Sections 6, 8 (b) 1 (3), 363 (3) (d) and(e)  of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act of 2006, and Section 278 (2) (a) and (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

(NAN)