The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt Zonal Office, today Tuesday, February 25, 2020, arraigned one Patrick Ighalo before Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of One Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N1,750,000.00).
One of the counts reads: “That you Patrick Ighalo and Raymond Otamere Ibie between 10th and 15th of April, 2015 at Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtained the sum of One Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (N1.750, 000) Naira only from Evelyn Obene under the false pretence that the sum was an investment in an oil business and which 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”. When the charges were read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty. In view of the plea of the defendant, the prosecution counsel, R.E. Alao prayed the court for a new date for trial while the defendant is remanded in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre. However, the defence counsel, T.J. Kurukurugbor asked the court to grant his client bail.