She was arraigned before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State.
Blessing Amaka David-Agwa, a suspected fake fertility nurse, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for defrauding over 45 of over N28m million.
The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency arraigned the suspect before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State.
The EFCC alleged that David-Agwa defrauded her victims under the guise of assisting them to get pregnant.
The suspect is facing 45-count charges, bordering on fraudulent impersonation, forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N28, 278, 600 (Twenty-eight Million, Two Hundred and Seventy-eight Thousand, Six Hundred Naira).
Trouble began for the accused on August 28, 2024, when the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA handed her over to the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the EFCC for investigation and possible prosecution, following the revelation that paraded herself as a medical fertility nurse, a guise she was using to defraud her victims.
It was discovered that David-Agwa forged the certificate of Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the Certificate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and used the same in parading herself as a Medical Fertility Nurse, specially trained to assist women in getting pregnant with ease.
Furthermore, the suspect was also accused of defrauding over 45 innocent women who fell for her false claims.
“That you, Blessing Amaka David-Agwa sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of One Million, Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N1, 600, 000. 00) only from one Okenwa Joy Chiamaka, under the pretence of being a Medical Fertility Nurse (Specially trained to assist women get pregnant with ease) which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act, ” Count 41 of the charge read.
According to Count 24: “That you, Blessing Amaka David-Agwa sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N1, 250, 000. 00) from one Amarachi Okpala, under the pretence of being a Medical Fertility Nurse (Specially trained to assist women get pregnant with ease) which pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
David-Agwa pleaded not guilty to all counts when they were read to her.
Consequently, Blessing N. Obasi, counsel to the EFCC, prayed the court for a trial date and the remand of the suspect at the Enugu State Correctional Facility.
However, G. C. Madubuegwu, the defence counsel, notified the court about a motion on notice for bail, dated October 4, 2024, and filed on the same date.
“It is brought pursuant to Section 162 and 165 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act,” he said, and urged the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms.
The EFCC counsel opposed the bail application for the suspect because of the gravity of the offences as we as the mental health of the her victims.
However, Justice Umar adjourned the matter to November 12, 2024, for a ruling on the bail application.
Pending the ruling on her bail application, David-Agwa was remanded at the Enugu State Correctional Facility.