A middle age lady from New Zealand, Ms. D. Bonnici has complained of how a student of the Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo state, Akintunde Vincent Abiodun tricked her through online dating site into parting with the sum of $267,000.
Ms. Bonnici said that she met the 37-year-old man on a dating site on the internet and allegedly fell in love with him.
She said that Akintunde Vincent started collecting money from her after he claimed he was in possession of gemstone worth $18,050,000 (Eighteen Million and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars), which he purportedly inherited from his father.
The lady said that Akintunde hoodwinked her into believing that he was coming to New Zealand to settle down with her, alleging that the money she sent to him was received in Malaysia and Nigeria by persons bearing Norisha, Jalan Klan, and Mohammed Haizam Bin Fauzin.
She said that all such people named acknowledged that they knew Akitunde and that they were his friends.
Akintunde, who has been charged at a Lagos State High court, Ikeja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and facing a 14-count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining money by false pretence, pleaded not guilty.
The trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye has ordered that Akintunde should be remanded in Kirikiri prison and adjourned trial to 7 and 8 of March, 2017. [myad]
