EFCC arrests, arraigns Nigerian on FBI wanted list

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Thursday said it arraigned a thirty-six-year-old Joesph Oyediran, one of the wanted suspects by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) after the arrest.

Oyediran was arraigned before Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on a five-count charge bordering on internet fraud and other fraud-related offences, obtaining money under false pretence among others.

Count two of the charge said Oyediran pretended to be Joe Morris Graves sometime in May 2015 to defraud and obtained the sum of N1,421,968 from one Andrea Smith, an American woman on the false pretence which is punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud-related Offences Act no. 14of 2006.

Oyediran, however, pleaded not guilty to all the five-count charges levelled against him by the anti-graft body.

EFCC’s lawyer asked the judge to remand the Oyediraan in prison pending hearing and determination of the matter.

The accused lawyer, M.A Bello, however, did not object to the application.

The judge, Justice Abdulgafar, ordered the accused person to be remanded in Mandala Prison and adjourned the case till October 9, 2019, for the commencement of trial.

Oyediran’s arrest and arraignment came after the United States authorities listed 77 Nigerians in a massive fraud.

US authorities on published names of 80 persons involved in massive fraud, money laundering in the United States.

In the 252-count federal indictment statement seen by The Guardian, at least 77 of the persons were of Nigerian origin.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said 14 of the suspected fraudsters have been arrested across the United States, with 11 of these defendants apprehended in the Los Angeles region.