Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Justice S.I. Mark of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has ordered the remand of a couple, Julie Akue Onwuegbu and her husband, Wisdom Onwuegbu, in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre over an alleged N10 million land fraud. The couple was arraigned on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a three-count charge bordering on advance fee fraud and obtaining money under false pretences, according to a statement issued by the anti-graft agency on Monday, 6 July 2026.
One of the charges reads: "That you, Julie Akue Owuegbu and Wisdom Onwuegbu between 11th April, 2024 and 15th April, 2024 at Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira, only) from one Mr. Taofik Bello under the pretence of transferring and holding yourself as the rightful owner of a plot of land, situated at Queen Park Estate, (Royal Park Estate), Ohia Eli-Mini, Eneka in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, the pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act".
The couple pleaded "not guilty" to the charges. Following their plea, prosecution counsel, I. Igwu, urged the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendants in custody. Defence counsel, Igwe Okoronkwo, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and asked that the couple be granted bail to enable them to prepare adequately for their defence. Justice Mark, however, ordered the remand of the couple in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter until 10 July 2026 for ruling on their bail application.
The couple's journey to the correctional centre began with a petition filed in November 2024 by the complainant, Mr Taofik Bello. According to the EFCC, the petitioner alleged that one Enitan Joseph introduced him to the first defendant, Julie Onwuegbu, sometime in April 2024, with a claim that she had a piece of land to sell in Queens Park Estate, Eneka, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. An agreement was reached on a price of N10 million, and the complainant made payments in two instalments of N1 million and N9 million respectively into the defendant's Ecobank and First Bank accounts. The petitioner further alleged that the defendant provided him with a signed Deed of Conveyance as authority to access the property. However, when he attempted to develop the land, his efforts were halted by another individual who claimed ownership of it. The first defendant allegedly could not resolve the matter, and further inquiries revealed that she did not own any land in the estate.
Investigations also revealed that the first defendant transferred part of the proceeds of her alleged crime to a company account belonging to her husband, the second defendant, Wisdom Onwuegbu. All efforts by the complainant to either recover the land or his money proved abortive. The case has been adjourned to 10 July 2026 for ruling on the couple's bail application, after which the trial is expected to commence. As the legal battle unfolds, the case serves as a stark reminder of the prevalence of land fraud in Nigeria's property market, where unsuspecting buyers continue to fall victim to sophisticated scams involving forged documents and false claims of ownership. The EFCC has reiterated its commitment to prosecuting cases of advance fee fraud and obtaining money under false pretences, warning that perpetrators will face the full wrath of the law.
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