Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested a 31-year-old man, Jefferson Onojorhorhouwo, for allegedly defrauding an Australian woman, Eife Burnt (61), to the tune of N100 million.
Parading the suspect, spokesman of the command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said the suspects was arrested in Okabere Quarters, off Sapele Road, following investigation into a case of internet fraud and cybercrime reported by one Martins Onyechukwu on behalf of one Eife Burnt against one Jefferson Onojorhorhouwoo.
He explained that the suspect allegedly presented himself as a white man on Facebook and engaged an Australia woman, Eife Burnt, on internet romance sometime in 2020 with the pretense of marrying her and thereafter defrauded her of N100m.
He said the suspect confessed that he used the N100m to buy two vehicles, a Toyota Venza with registration number, RSH 36 CE, and a Toyota Corolla, with registration number, FUG 366 J, noting that the vehicles had been recovered and that the suspect would be charged to court soon.
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In an interview with City & Crime, the suspect denied the allegation, saying the woman was his fiancée.
He said, “This woman is my fiancée. We have been dating since 2020 and have engaged. She has been to Nigeria three times and we have travelled together three times. We even bought a house in Lekki, Lagos, in her name and we are to live in that house after our marriage.
“We went to the marriage registry office together to get what we need for the marriage.
“This problem started when one of my friends who has been jealous of our relationship went and dug out a link of my female friend and sent it to her and advised her to put up a case of fraud against me.”
He further said, “I didn’t defraud her of N100m. She is calculating all the money we have spent in the last three years. The money we used for picnics, bought two cars in her name, as well as the one we spent on travelling since 2020.
“I am a bolt driver and also a teacher on YouTube. They called me on Monday to come and pick a passenger at Mr Biggs and I was arrested by the police. I later discovered that one of my friends wrote a petition that I had defrauded the woman of €100,000. They now converted that money with the current rate.”
