Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Uyo zonal office of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on
Tuesday, August 25, 2020, arraigned one Gabriel
Chizoba Ikpenwa and his wife, Lillian Nkechi
Ikpenwa before Justice Archibong Archibong of
Akwa Ibom State High Court, Uyo, for fraud.
The couple was arraigned alongside a
Cooperative Society, Easycash Multipurpose,
owned by the first accused Mr. Ikpenwa on two-
count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money
by false pretence to the tune of N450,000.00
(Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
One of the charges read, “That you, Gabriel
Chizoba Ikpenwa “M”, Lillian Nkechi Ikpenwa “F”
and Easycash Multipurpose Cooperative Society
sometime in 2013 at Uyo, within the jurisdiction
of this honourable court, with intent to defraud,
did obtain the sum of N450,000.00 (Four
Hundred And Fifty Thousand Naira) only from
one Maria Ebong Umana, under the pretence that
if the said Maria Ebong Umana invested the sum
of N450,000.00, she will gain interest of
N67,000.00 monthly, the pretences you knew to
be false, thereby committed an offence.”
The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges,
upon which prosecuting counsel, N. Ukoha,
prayed the court for a trial date and for the
defendants to be remanded in prison custody,
while the defence counsel, C. I. Udoh informed
the court of a bail application for the second
defendant , Mrs Ikpenwa, pending before the
court.
Though the prosecution opposed the bail
application, Justice Archibong granted Mrs
Ikpenwa bail in the sum of N1million with one
Surety in like sum. The Surety must swear to an
affidavit of means and must reside within the
jurisdiction of the court. In addition, the Surety
must produce evidence of ownership of landed
property worth the bail sum and located within
the jurisdiction of the court, and must make
available, letter of identification from a prominent
citizen of the state, working or doing business
within the jurisdiction of the court, as well as a
recent passport photograph.
The court also stated that the above conditions,
when produced, must be verified by the court’s
Assistant Director and confirmed by the
prosecuting counsel before the second
defendant can be released from custody.
The judge adjourned the matter till December 9
and 10, 2020, for trial and ordered that the first
defendant be remanded in EFCC custody,
pending the hearing of his bail application.
The couple started their journey to the dock,
when one Maria Ebong Umana, on February 22,
2018 petitioned the Uyo zonal office of the
Commission, alleging that sometime in August
2013, the couple lured her into investing the sum
of N450, 000 in their Cooperative Society, on the
promise that she was going to receive the sum of
N67,500.00 on a monthly basis as interest on
her invested capital.
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