Romance Scam: Lady accused of duping German lover of $2m remanded in prison

A federal high court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of Cynthia Atuonah for allegedly defrauding a German man of $2.2 million.

Recall that last month, this 21-year-old lady was apprehended by Lagos police for allegedly duping her German lover of about N101 million after promising to marry him.

According to The Cable, Yelim Bogoro, the presiding judge, ordered the remand of the defendant at the Nigerian Correctional Centre after she took her plea.

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The defendant is facing five counts of obtaining by “false pretenses, fraud, and unlawful conversation” preferred against her by the police.

Henry Obiazi, the prosecutor, said the defendant committed the offenses between January and February 2022.

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Obiazi told the court that the lady defrauded the victim by claiming that “she wanted to invest in spa business.”

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He said Atuonah received the amount in “$10,000; $50,000; $100, 000; and $45,000,” respectively.

The prosecutor said Atuonah’s actions contravened Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.

The defendant’s lawyer prayed to the court to grant Atuonah bail in the most liberal terms.

But Obiazi urged the court to remand the defendant till the determination of the charges against her.

In his verdict, Bogoro held that the defendant be remanded till May 19, when a ruling will be delivered on the bail application.

Ashraf, son of Lamido Sanusi, the former Emir of Kano, had previously argued that the lady did nothing illegal.

“Technically she didn’t do anything illegal right? Since he sent her money willingly not as payment for a good or service. She’s not meant to be arrested,” he had said.