Woman Arraigned For Allegedly Posing As Fertility Nurse, Duping Over 45 Women Of N28.2Million In Enugu
However, defence counsel, G. C. Madubuegwu informed the court about a pending motion on notice for bail, dated October 4, 2024 and filed on the same date.
The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned one Blessing Amaka David-Agwa, a fake fertility nurse before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State.
The defendant was arraigned on 45 counts bordering on fraudulent impersonation, forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N28, 278, 600 (Twenty-eight Million, Two Hundred and Seventy-eight Thousand, Six Hundred Naira), EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Count 41 of the charge reads: “That you, Blessing Amaka David-Agwa sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,600,000. 00) only from one Okenwa Joy Chiamaka, under the pretence of being a Medical Fertility Nurse (Specially trained to assist women get pregnant with ease) which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed 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.”
Count 24 of the charge reads: “That you, Blessing Amaka David-Agwa sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N1,250,000. 00) from one Amarachi Okpala, under the pretence of being a Medical Fertility Nurse (Specially trained to assist women get pregnant with ease) which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed 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.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all counts when they were read to her. In view of her pleas, counsel for the EFCC, Blessing N. Obasi, prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded at the Enugu State correctional facility.
However, defence counsel, G. C. Madubuegwu informed the court about a pending motion on notice for bail, dated October 4, 2024 and filed on the same date.
“It is brought pursuant to Section 162 and 165 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act,” he said. After moving the said application, he prayed the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms.
Obasi vehemently opposed the application for bail on the grounds that the allegation against the defendant was a weighty one, citing the mental health of the defendant’s victims.
After listening to both sides, Justice Umar adjourned the matter to November 12, 2024 for a ruling on the bail application.
The defendant was thereafter remanded at the Enugu State correctional facility.
According to the EFCC, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on August 28, 2024, handed David-Agwa, over to its Enugu Zonal Directorate for investigation and possible prosecution after “discovering that the defendant paraded herself as a medical fertility nurse, thereby defrauding unsuspecting victims”.
EFCC said its investigation into the matter revealed that the defendant allegedly forged the certificate of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the Certificate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka and “used the same in parading herself as a Medical Fertility Nurse, specially trained to assist women in getting pregnant with ease”.
It accused the defendant of defrauding “over 45 innocent women who fell for her false claims”.
