The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two brothers, Christian and Onubuogu Ajim, for their involvement in a romance scam that defrauded an American woman, Chebet Chumba, of $43,850 and 18.675 million naira.
The siblings, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, faced multiple counts including impersonation, money laundering, and fraud during their arraignment before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Enugu on November 28, 2024.
According to the EFCC, the defendants deceived Chumba by impersonating individuals via fake social media accounts. They allegedly used these accounts to send fraudulent love messages, gaining the victim’s trust and eventually stealing a significant sum of money. The investigation revealed that the two brothers operated with fraudulent documents, furthering their deceit.
The EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Michael Ani, has requested a trial date and for the brothers to be remanded in the Enugu State Correctional Facility. The siblings’ arrest followed Chumba’s report of the scam, which triggered the investigation.
As per the charges, Christian Ajim, between March and May 2023, is alleged to have taken possession of funds from Chumba via his Opay Digital Service account, knowing the money to be proceeds of unlawful activity.
The case highlights the increasing trend of love scams, in which criminals exploit victims emotionally and financially through digital platforms.
