Patrick Ighalo has been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Port Harcourt with four counts of obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N1,750,000.00.
Concise News understands that one Mrs Evelyn Obene alleged that she met Ighalo and one Raymond Otamere Ibie sometime in January 2015 in Calabar and that they convinced her to invest N1.750.000 in an Automotive Gas Oil business.
She said that the money was transferred to Ighalo’s Ecobank account number 2221007816.
The woman also alleged that she gave Ighalo N950,000 cash for barge repairs and logistics; while another N270,000 was transferred to Otamere Ibie’s Account.
She claimed that after paying the monies, the suspects became evasive.
But Ighalo pleaded not guilty at the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“That you Patrick Ighalo and Raymond Otamere Ibie between 10th and 15th of April, 2015 at Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtained the sum of One Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (N1.750, 000) Naira only from Evelyn Obene under the false pretence that the sum was an investment in an oil business and which pretence you knew to be false and thereby commited an offence contrary to Section 1(1)( a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act,” one of the counts read.
The presiding judge, Justice J. K. Omotosho, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N3 million and two sureties in like sum.
He ruled that the sureties must be a grade level 10 Officer and must deposit his passport photograph with the court.
The case was adjourned till March 12, 2020 for trial.
