Segun Atanda/
A clinical sexologist and marriage counsellor is facing trial at a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos over alleged computer-related forgery and computer-related fraud.
The case against the 40-year-old sexologist, Cecilia May Agu, has been adjourned till February 7, 2024.
According to the prosecutors, Cecilia May Agu and others at large allegedly swindled a web designer, Babatunde Oyebode, to the tune of N275 million and $1,358,305.
A 9-count amended charge filed before the court against the woman, by Police prosecuting counsel, Barrister Samuel E. Iredia from Police/ prosecution section Zone 2 Police Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, says Cecilia May Agu and others now at large, “on the 20th day of February 2023 at 28B, Babatunde Ajose, Admiralty Way Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State, within Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did conspire to commit felony to wit: Computer Related Forgery and Computer Related Fraud and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 27 (a) and (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention) Acts, 2015”.
The suspects allegedly on the same date, place and time, “in the aforementioned Judicial Division, did input, alter, delete or suppress data, resulting authentic data, with the intention that such authentic data will be considered as if it were authentic or genuine, regardless of whether or not such data is directly readable or intelligible and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 13 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention) Acts, 2015”.
The charge added that the defendant and others now at large, on the same date, place and time, without authority and with intent to defraud allegedly sent an electronic message and misrepresented themself to Mr Babatunde Oyebode that they would help him to verify, and validate and authenticate Instagram pages of his clients, but they did not and defrauded him of the sum of N275,000,000, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 14 (1),(2) and (3) of the cybercrime (prohibition Prevention) Acts, 2015.
Apart from charging her for obtaining under false pretence, Cecilia May Agu was also charged for stealing N275 Million and $1,358,305 USD from Babatunde Oyebode on the pretence that she was going to help him verify, validate and authenticate Instagram pages of his clients, a representation she knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1(a) (b) (2) and section 11 (1) and (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Acts 2006.
The suspect on the same date and place allegedly stole the sum of $1,358,305, a property of Mr. Babatunde Oyebode, thereby committing an offence punishable under section 390 of the Criminal Code Laws of Nigeria 2006.
0