The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), yesterday arraigned a suspected internet felon Akpoguma Onome Patrick at a
Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Recall that operatives of the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, rejected an offer of N174m bribe from him over his alleged involvement in various types of internet-related fraud, including romance scams, identity theft, cyber hacking, cryptocurrency fraud, ritual practices and cultism.
The suspect, the police said confessed to the crime while speaking with journalists at Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos.
The police revealed that in an attempt to have his name cleared, the suspect offered monetary bribes to the police.
He allegedly offered the sum of $100,000 USD (One Hundred Thousand Dollars), which is equivalent to about One Hundred and Seventy-Four Million Naira, to the police.
Addressing the press, qthe Assistant Inspector General Adegoke Fayoade, revealed that the investigation into activities of the suspect began on November 7, 2024, after receiving reports from residents of Chevron Drive, Lekki, where the suspect resides.
However, the defendant in FHC/L/844C/2024, Inspector General of Police Akpoguma Onome Patrick, was arraigned yesterday morning on counts charge, and he pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The prosecutor, Z. Arekhandia Esq applied for a trial date base on the plea of not guilty of the defendant, while the defendant’s lawyer, Olatunji Kolawole informed the Court that he has bail application for the defendant.
The presiding judge Justice Kakaki of the Federal High Court Ikoyi, Lagos adjourned the case to 4th February, 2024 for bail application.
The seven count charges the prosecutor said are crimes punishable under section 1 (1) of the Advance Free Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, section 27 (1) (b), section 22 (2) (a) (b) (I) (ii) and (iii)
of the Cybercrime Prohibition, etc Act 2015 (as amended).