Metro

Alleged Fraud: I Was Deceived Into Investing $10,000 – Warri Fish Farmer Tells Court

Published

2 months ago

June 20, 2025

A Warri-based fish farmer, Mr Edafe Imirike, on Friday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he was deceived into investing the sum of 10,788 dollars and 64 cents in Afriq Arbitrage System (AAS) Ltd, a cryptocurrency platform.

The company is charged with advance fee fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Imirike, the 1st prosecution witness (PW-1), told Justice Obiora Egwuatu while being led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s legal team led by Geraldine Ofulue with Martha Babatunde.

The witness, who identified Mr Jesam Michael, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AAS Limited, in court, said Michael assured him of the safety of his money before investing.

“In 2022, October to be precise, my sister, who resides in Canada, told me about Afriq Arbitrage System (AAS) Limited, and I joined the telegraph platform which was owned by the defendant.

“He told me what to expect.

“He showed me a CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) document and EFCC certificate to show that the platform was legit.

“I invested the sum of 10,778 U.S. dollars and 64 cents from my fish farming,” he said.

He said he also invited two of his uncles onto the platform.

During cross-examination by the defence lawyer, Uchenna Njoku, SAN, the witness admitted that he invested his money because he was convinced that the investment was genuine.

“You will not have invested if you believe it was a crime?” the lawyer asked.

“I invested based on the CAC and the EFCC certificates and that the platform was genuine.

“That our capital will be secured. I never knew he had the spare key to take the money whenever he wished,” he responded.

When asked if his uncles and sister were still alive, the witness responded in the affirmative.

“Did any one of them give you a letter of authority to represent them?” Njoku asked.

“I manage the account. I can’t remember if they gave me a letter,” he responded.

When asked if he had received returns on his investment, he responded in the affirmative.

“Just as you receive returns on the investment in your name, so your uncle and others did,” the lawyer asked, and Imirike said, “We received.”

The witness said he indicated in his extrajudicial statement the returns on his investment.

“I withdrew a total of 137 dollars,” he said.

He agreed that he withdrew his first petition against the company at the police station, but based on the assurance that he would get his invested money back.

When the lawyer put it to the witness that he wrote at the police station that he invested the sum of 10,788 U.S. dollars and 74 cents, Imirike said it was incorrect.

When Njoku also confronted Imirike with a question that he collected the returns of 11,910.00 U.S. dollars, the witness said it was not correct.

“It was because you realised you had withdrawn more than you invested that you decided to settle with the defendant?” the lawyer asked.

“Not correct,” the witness said.

“In full and final settlement of all your interests, the defendant undertook to give you the total sum of N1 million and a 2016 Toyota Corolla, and he did,” the lawyer said.

“Not correct,” the witness responded.

Imirike, however, said that the N1 million and the car given to him were not for settlement but for compensation.

He said he had sold the car.

“I suggest to you that the only reason you filed your petition on May 8, 2025, was because you heard the defendant had been arraigned in court and you felt you could get a second bite,” the lawyer said, but the witness said it was not correct.

Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter until June 27 and July 4 for the continuation of the trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Egwuatu had, on June 10, ordered the remand of Mr Michael in Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged investment fraud.

The judge, in a ruling in Michael’s bail application shortly after he was arraigned by the EFCC, refused his bail plea on the grounds of the gravity of the offence and the weight of evidence against him.

Justice Egwuatu agreed with the argument of the EFCC’s lawyer, Babatunde, that despite the instant charge, more petitions were still being received by the commission and other security agencies from victims of the Ponzi scheme of the defendant.

The judge observed that the anti-graft agency, in its argument, also submitted that its further investigation had revealed that there were over 50,000 investors in Michael’s failed investment scheme.

He also held that the victims were aggrieved and it would be in his own safety to remain in government custody pending the conclusion of the trial.

The judge, however, ordered an accelerated hearing of the trial.

NAN reports that the EFCC had, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/134/2025, dragged Michael and his company, a cryptocurrency trading platform, to court as 1st and 2nd defendants.

The commission, in the seven-count charge bordering on money laundering and advance fee fraud, among others, accused Michael of investment fraud involving 844,416.36 U.S. dollars, N590 million and another 10,000 U.S. dollars.

The EFCC alleged that Michael and his company, between September 2022 and June 2023 in Abuja, while not being a bank or an authorised entity to take deposits, invited the public through advertisements to deposit funds with Afriq Arbitrage System Limited.

This, according to the commission, is in contravention of Section 44(1) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020, and is punishable under the same Act.

NAN observes that at Friday’s sitting, a crowd of victims stormed the court to observe proceedings.
(NAN)

Metro

Edo Govt Demolishes Building Owned by Suspected Cultist

Published

1 hour ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

The Governor Monday Okpebholo led-Edo State Government has demolished a house belonging to a suspected cultist.

The building was said to have been used for initiations in Egbaen community along Upper Siluko Road , Egor Local Government Area.

The building was said to belong to a suspected Maphite cult leader, and was said to be used as a base for cult initiation rites and ritual practices.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary ( CPS) to the governor, Fred Itua in Saturday said the operation was executed by the Edo State Special Security Squad, codenamed “Operation Flush Out Cultists and Kidnappers”, working in concert with various security agencies and community stakeholders.

The statement said the, coordinator of the Edo State Security Squad, Idemudia Noah confirmed that the building was linked a leader of the Maphite cult group, who had allegedly converted the bungalow into a shrine and meeting point for illegal activities.

“We were here some days ago to seal up this building following allegations of cultism, ritual practices and other nefarious activities of suspected Maphite cult leader and his members,” the Edo State Security Squard said in the statement.

The squad leader also disclosed that despite the earlier sealing of the premises, intelligence reports confirmed that the suspects resumed their clandestine operations under the cover of darkness. Their continued defiance prompted the government’s decision to demolish the structure.

“We got credible information that the suspected cult leader Marvellous Adetarami and his members still gathered to have their meetings in this sealed bungalow, where the horrible shrine was discovered,” he revealed.

He said, “Neighbours and community members are all joyous seeing the building pulled down, as they have lived in fear following the suspect’s activities.”

Metro

My Husband Fought, Abandoned Me Cos’ I’m Barren, Woman Tells Court

Published

8 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

A woman, Wasilat Saka, has pleaded with a Grade 1 Area Court in Kubwa, Abuja (Federal Capital Territory), to dissolve her marriage to her husband, Tajudeen Jimoh, over alleged abandonment and conflicting faith beliefs.

Wasilat told the court that she got married to Jimoh under Islamic Law on July 30, 2022, adding that their marriage did not produce any children.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), she alleged that Jimoh, who claimed to be a Muslim, abandoned her for months shortly after they got married while refusing to perform necessary Islamic rites.

“My husband does not observe the five daily prayers and the Ramadan fast.

“We always quarrel and fight for these reasons.

“I beg the court to grant my request of divorce,” Wasilat said.

Jimoh was absent in court despite being served with the hearing notice.

The judge, Ibrahim Rufai, adjourned the case.

Metro

Our First Child Beat Me Blue And Black After My Wife Turned Them Against Me —Man

Published

8 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

…That was the easiest way I made him pay their fees —Wife

Grade A Customary Court, Court 2, sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has given judgment on a divorce suit brought before it by a man, Tajudeen, who dragged his wife, Kafayat, to court, accusing her of showing him no love or affection.

He added that she was troublesome and violent and that she refused to let him have peace of mind.

Tajudeen stated that Kafayat was defiant and never listened to him nor took instruction from him.

The plaintiff explained that the defendant was brutal and always sought every opportunity to fight and hurt him with any dangerous object within her reach.

He added that she refused that he give their children proper training, and that she turned them against him.

According to him, the eldest of their children beat him till he was almost unconscious in the presence of his wife and she saw nothing bad in it.

Tajudeen explained that Kafayat constantly came to his office to fight and disgrace him.

The plaintiff stated that he was fed up with his wife’s unruly behaviour and thus pleaded for divorce.

Kafayat refused that their union be dissolved, stating that she and her husband jointly built their house.

The defendant did not deny being defiant and in the habit of fighting her husband even in his office.

According to her, that was the only way she made her husband commit to his responsibilities in the home and, more importantly, pay their children’s school fees.

Tajudeen, in his evidence, said, “My wife and I got married under Islamic Law and I paid her bride price.

“My marriage to my wife is void of love and care. She made our home a hell to live in.

“I no longer have a say in our home because my wife is rebellious. She never listens to me nor takes orders from me. She would turn every argument between us into a fight.

“Kafayat being a violent person always hits me with dangerous objects within her reach. The scars on my body tell the story.

“Much worse is the fact that my wife refused that I train our children and always instigates them against me.

“The strain in the relationship between our children and me led to our eldest child beating me till I almost fainted.

“My wife was present at the scene and she neither restrained our son nor rebuked him.

“My wife is still not satisfied and would come to my office to fight and disgrace me.

“My lord, I have had enough of my wife and children’s waywardness and cannot take it any longer.

“I pray this honourable court to end our marriage and grant me custody of our children so that I can give them proper training.

“I also request an order restricting her from coming to my office to fight me.”

Kafayat in her response said: “What my husband said is not totally true.

“We met in 1997 and he impregnated me.

“I started living with him although no marital rites were carried out on my behalf. He in addition did not pay my bride price.

“My lord, I do not agree to divorce because we both contributed towards building the house we are living in.

“It is true that I fight him even in his office. I discovered that was the only way I could force him to be committed to his responsibilities in the home and especially paying our children’s school fees.”

Ruling, the court president, Mrs. O. E. Owoseni, said there was no marriage to be dissolved since no customary marriage was held and no bride price was paid.