The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned two Internet fraudsters, Olubode Olukotun and Olamide Adekeye, on a 22-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence.
The two, according to the EFCC obtained $149,000 fraudulently and are to stand trial before Justice A. Akinteye of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan.
The accused persons were alleged to have obtained the sum from two American citizens, Janet Nelson and Louise Cecchni, in a romance scam.
When the charges were read to the accused persons, they pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution counsel, Kayode Oni, asked the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody, while requesting for a date for the commencement of trial.
However, defence counsel, O. Olaniyi, told the court that he had already filed a bail application since April 1 and served the prosecution since April 17.
Oni countered that it was against the law to file for bail when the accused had not been arraigned.
Olaniyi therefore pleaded that the accused be remanded in SSS custody.
Akinteye adjourned the matter till May 15, 2012, ordering that the accused be remanded in prison custody.
The accused persons were arrested on June 14, 2011 at Borem Inn, Ibadan by operatives of the Department of State Security Service and handed over to the EFCC on June 28, 2011.
Adekeye, a 25-year old student of Biochemistry, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo confessed to scamming one Janet Nelson, an American lady, online in a dating gambit.
He claimed to have met her through yahoo messenger where he saw her pictures.
He dated her using the false identity of a David Donovan, a successful American.
He successfully fleeced her of $90,000, which she sent to him in various installments through Western Union Money Transfer and also through GoldExPay.
From the proceeds of the crime, he bought a Peugeot 407 saloon car for himself.
On his part, 28-year-old Olubode, a graduate of the University of Ilorin, awaiting call up for national service, posed as Scott Ferguson, a Caucasian, to fleece Louise Cecchni of $53,000 in various installments.
He obtained the money under the guise of a short loan facility, with a promise to refund his Internet lover.
Both signed a promissory note to that effect and she started wiring him the hard currency through a GoldExPay account he maintained with Liberty Reserve.
From proceeds of the heist, Olubode bought for himself an Infinity M35X 2007 model saloon car worth N4.4million.