Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Uyo Zonal Directorate, has opened its case against an alleged romance scammer, Edidiong Nsidore James, by calling its first witness, Deputy Superintendent of EFCC (DSE) Unyime P. Moses, before Justice Maurine Oyetenu of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The witness testified that evidence of James’ alleged involvement in the $41,000 love scam was discovered in his mobile phone during a forensic examination. According to Moses, the communication between the defendant and his victim, Elizabeth — whom he often called 'My Everything' — contained details of the alleged monetary exchange between them. The chat evidence printed from the defendant's phone revealed that when the victim demanded a refund, the defendant failed to comply and instead demanded more money under various guises.
“Send me $900 if you want your money back, because if you don’t send me the $900, I won’t give you your money back,” James said in their chat. When the victim threatened to report him to the EFCC, the defendant allegedly boasted: “Did you really think the EFCC could arrest me? I remember I once told you that all this won’t help us, that you sent me $900, but you refused. So, tell me, how long will it take you to stop thinking you can arrest me”.
The witness also told the court that the defendant used pseudo names to defraud his victims, identifying himself as 'Jessy James' when he was arrested. A BVN check confirmed that Jessy was a fake name. The court heard that all pleas from the victim to the defendant to refund her money fell on deaf ears as James kept demanding more money. Elizabeth once pleaded: “At the end of August, the bailiff will take my apartment and because of you, I will be on the street with my child. I will never forgive you for this. If you do this to me, to whom you said you love, then what will you do to the one you don’t love? I don’t need your pity and I don’t need any feelings at all from you. I need my $41,000”.
The PW1 also narrated how she put a call across to the victim, who responded but became angry the instant the defendant's name was mentioned, raining curses and calling the entire country 'corrupt'. “Don’t ever call me again, your entire country is as corrupt as Jessy and I do not wish to speak with any of you again, except through my country’s Embassy,” the victim said.
James was arrested at his residence located at Ring Road 3, off Camp Gee, Uyo, in an intelligence-driven sting operation on October 8, 2025. Items recovered from the defendant include an iPhone 15 Pro Max, a Redmi 13 mobile phone, and a Lexus ES350, which were all tendered as exhibits by the prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, and admitted in evidence.
During interrogation, James claimed he owned a BetNaija shop established in 2021 and also operated a social media account-boosting business, charging between ₦30,000 and ₦40,000 per account. However, investigators found no evidence to substantiate those claims. Further investigations revealed that James allegedly specialized in romance scams and identity theft, using fictitious Facebook and WhatsApp accounts to communicate with foreign victims, including Elizabeth, a Hungarian national. Although the defendant claimed he received only $4,000 from Elizabeth, conversations retrieved from his devices suggested he obtained significantly more.
James was first arraigned on January 30, 2026, and pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge. One of the charges alleges that he fraudulently obtained $41,000 from Elizabeth and other victims under the guise of Bitcoin and forex trading, contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. After cross-examination, Justice Oyetenu adjourned the matter until September 22 and 23, 2026, for further hearing.
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