The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two men, Samuel Inalegwu Okpala and Ezelibe Emmanuel Nzube, before the Federal High Court Awka over an alleged N8.9 million fraud.

The suspects were arraigned before Justice Bala Khalifa-Mohammed Usman by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, fraudulent impersonation, and obtaining money under false pretence.

According to the EFCC, the alleged offences were committed in 2025 in Onitsha, where the defendants were accused of defrauding victims through purported investment opportunities.

In one of the charges, the commission alleged that Okpala fraudulently induced a victim, Clara Uwakonye, to part with N5.5 million under the promise of returns on investment—claims the EFCC said he knew to be false. The charge was filed under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

Another count alleged that Nzube impersonated an individual identified as Michael Michael using a Samsung Galaxy A05 and a fake Facebook account to obtain money from another victim, Lisbeth Hojiund. The offence was said to contravene provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention Etc) Amendment Act 2024.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read in court.

Following their pleas, EFCC counsel Somtochukwu C. Anyanwu asked the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendants in custody pending further proceedings.

The court adjourned the matter to April 29, 2026, for the hearing of their bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded at a facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Awka.

The EFCC alleged that Okpala lured victims into a fake investment scheme with promises of high returns but became unreachable after collecting the funds, while Nzube allegedly supported the operation through identity theft and the use of fake social media accounts to target unsuspecting members of the public.