By Milcah Tanimu
The Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Blessing Nchelem and her daughter-in-law, Deborah Jack, before Justice P. I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for multiple fraud charges.
The EFCC announced on its X handle that the pair faced four-count charges related to criminal conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretenses, and retention of proceeds of unlawful acts amounting to N6 million.
One of the charges stated, “That you, Deborah Jack, Blessing Webilor Nchelem, Chimenem Peter Webilor (now at large) between 15th November 2022 to 21st March 2023 at Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud did obtain in a single transaction, the sum of Six Million Naira (N6,000,000) only from Senibo Richmond Opusunju as consideration for the sale of three plots of land, located at Rumuapu, Rukpokwo Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1)(a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act.”
Both defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges. Prosecution counsel E. K. Esien-Otu requested a trial date and asked that the defendants be remanded in Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) custody. Defense counsel S. O. Aburu orally applied for bail to prepare for the trial, but Justice Ajoku denied the oral application, instructing a formal bail application to be made. The defendants were ordered to remain in EFCC custody.
The charges stemmed from a petition filed in October 2022 by Senibo Richmond Opusunju, who was introduced to Chimenem Peter Webilor, purportedly a property agent, by his son. Webilor claimed to sell two plots of land in Rumuapu and Rukpokwo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area for which Opusunju paid N6 million to Deborah Jack’s bank account. After payment, Opusunju discovered he could not take possession of the properties as someone else claimed ownership. Efforts to recover his money have since failed.