Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a 33-year-old woman, Mbah Chidinma Sophina, over an alleged fraud involving N19 million and €8,370.
The anti-graft agency said Sophina was apprehended for alleged criminal breach of trust and obtaining money by false pretence after she reportedly promised to secure a United Kingdom Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for a victim seeking employment abroad.
According to a petition received by the EFCC, the complainant said he met the suspect on TikTok in 2024 and informed her of his intention to relocate to the United Kingdom to work as a caregiver through the CoS scheme.
The suspect allegedly presented herself as an Assistant Psychologist at the Priory Health Unit in Glasgow, Scotland, and claimed she had contacts who could facilitate a Certificate of Sponsorship at a cost ranging between €12,000 and €13,000.
The petitioner stated that Sophina directed him to make payments partly in Nigerian naira and partly in euros. She reportedly provided her bank details for the naira transfers and supplied foreign accounts belonging to associates for the euro payments, explaining that she did not use her personal foreign accounts for business transactions.
Investigations revealed that the victim transferred N19 million in eight instalments between August 8 and November 12, 2024. He also paid €8,370 in four separate tranches between August 12 and November 21, 2024, for the purported processing of the Certificate of Sponsorship.
However, after acknowledging receipt of the funds, the suspect allegedly failed to deliver the promised document. When the victim later demanded a refund after waiting several months, she reportedly sent a fake transfer notification and subsequently blocked him on social media platforms.
During interrogation, Sophina reportedly claimed that the funds had been handed over to another individual. Investigators said she has so far shown little cooperation in helping authorities trace the alleged accomplice.
The EFCC stated that the suspect will be charged to court upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
