A man, Yusuf Babatunde, was on Monday remanded in Agodi Prison by Justice P.I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, over alleged impersonation and fraud of $1,600 .
Ajoku ordered Babatunde to be remanded after he had pleaded not guilty to a three-count charge bordering on impersonation and obtaining money under false pretence leveled against him.
The judge adjourned the case till June 5 for commencement of trial and hearing of bail application.
Earlier, Mr S.H. Ibekute, Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had informed the court that the suspect committed the crime in December 2018 in Ibadan.
Ibekute said that Babatunde falsely presented himself as a citizen of United States living in California and defrauded one Jovania Diaz, Angelo Macetti and Hamet Bagci.
According to the prosecutor, Babatunde, who operated under a fake name known as John Ben, also deceived unsuspecting foreigners using an illegal email address– lilianjohn0147@gmail.com.
The EFCC counsel told the court that the suspect fraudulently obtained the cash sum from his victims after he had lied to them that he was a vehicle dealer.
Ibekute said that the offence contravened Sections (1) (A) of the Advanced Free Fraud, 2006.
The defence counsel, Mr Jimoh Babatunde, had earlier applied for bail for his client.
