On Thursday, a High Court in Benin ordered the remand of 39-year-old Ewombe Lumiere in a Correctional Centre due to accusations of a N10 million fraud. The prosecutor, Polycarp Odion, informed the court that Lumiere was charged with a single count of fraud. The alleged offense took place on March 13, 2025, in Benin City, within the jurisdiction of the Benin Criminal Division. Odion stated that Lumiere deceived one Ofure Okhiria by falsely claiming he would import goods from China, thereby unlawfully acquiring N10 million. He emphasized that this act violated Section 1(1)(a) and was subject to penalties under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2004. In an exparte motion, the prosecutor requested the court to keep the defendant in custody for an initial 14 days while awaiting legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution’s office in the state. Judge Justice Ogbevoen agreed to the remand and scheduled a hearing for June 4, 2025.
