EFCC Arraigns Two Edo Lovers, Aged 19 And 21, Over ₦35.92m Th£ft From Woman Who Took In One Of Them

EFCC Arraigns Two Edo Lovers, Aged 19 And 21, Over ₦35.92m Th£ft From Woman Who Took In One Of Them

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a 19-year-old woman, Marian Elia, and her 21-year-old boyfriend, Izuchukwu Uzoma, over the alleged th£ft of N35.92 million belonging to Mrs Esther Ogbeifun in Benin, Edo State.

The EFCC disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday, stating that the defendants appeared before Justice C.A. Obiozor of the Federal High Court on a seven-count charge bordering on “cybercrime, conspiracy and ste@ling”.

According to the commission, Elia allegedly exploited her access to Ogbeifun’s phones and banking details, having grown up in the woman’s house, to transfer the money into an account belonging to Uzoma.

The EFCC further alleged that the pair converted the funds to their personal use.

One of the charges accused Elia of using the victim’s Moniepoint banking application to transfer the money to an account operated by her boyfriend at United Bank for Africa (UBA).

The charge stated, “That you Marian Elia between the 8th day of March 2026 and 29th day of July 2026 in Benin, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did use the access device issued to one Mrs Esther Ogbeifun to wit, a Moniepoint Personal Banking App with account number 6513141114 to transfer the aggregate sum of N35,920,000.00 (Thirty Five million, Nine hundred and Twenty Thousand) to account number 2318786590 domiciled in United Bank for Africa, operated by one Izuchukwu Uzoma, resulting in a loss to the said Mrs Esther Ogbeifun”

The commission said the alleged offence contravened Section 33(2)(c) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended in 2024.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following their pleas, prosecution counsel, I.M. Elodi, urged the court to schedule a trial date and remand them in custody.

Justice Obiozor subsequently ordered their remand at the Benin Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until December 7 for hearing.