The Benin zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, February 17, arraigned two fraudsters, Kelvin Usiholo and Osaigbovo Aikoriogie, at the federal high court in Benin city, Edo state, for their involvement in a ₦143 million fraud.
The defendants, alongside others still at large, were charged with a three-count charge of money laundering and obtaining money under false pretences.
The case began with a petition filed by Kelvin, who was acting as the lawful attorney for Eghosa Aikorogie.
Through a firm of legal practitioners, Kelvin approached the commission, stating that Osaigbovo had defrauded Eghosa of large sums of money in a business transaction, seemingly presenting himself as an aggrieved party seeking justice.
However, EFCC operatives discovered during investigations that the funds at the centre of the dispute were proceeds of fraud.
Further investigations revealed that both Kelvin, the complainant’s representative, and Osaigbovo, the accused, were members of a syndicate that specialised in defrauding unsuspecting victims, including foreign nationals, of their hard-earned money.
Following the investigation, Kelvin and Osaigbovo were formally arraigned on charges of money laundering and obtaining money by false pretence.
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