EFCC ARRESTS WOMAN FOR ALLEGED N19M, €8,370 FRAUD IN ENUGU
Enugu, Nigeria — March 13, 2026
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Enugu Zonal Directorate, have arrested Mbah Chidinma Sophina for an alleged case of criminal breach of trust and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N19,000,000 and €8,370.
Sophina, 33, was arrested following a petition alleging that she defrauded a victim under the pretext of procuring a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to enable him relocate to the United Kingdom to work as a caregiver.
According to the petitioner, he met the suspect on the social media platform TikTok in 2024 and informed her of his intention to relocate abroad. The suspect allegedly claimed to be an Assistant Psychologist at Priory Health Unit and said she had contacts that could secure a Certificate of Sponsorship at a cost of between €12,000 and €13,000.
The petitioner further stated that the suspect instructed him to make payments partly in Nigerian naira and partly in euros. She allegedly provided her personal bank account for naira payments and foreign accounts belonging to her associates for the euro transfers, claiming that she does not use her personal foreign accounts for business transactions.
He said he paid a total of N19,000,000 in eight tranches between August 8, 2024 and November 12, 2024, while the euro payments, amounting to €8,370, were made in four tranches between August 12, 2024 and November 21, 2024. The payments were said to be for processing the promised Certificate of Sponsorship.
However, after acknowledging receipt of the funds, the suspect allegedly failed to deliver the document as promised, leaving the petitioner waiting for several months. When he later demanded a refund, the suspect reportedly sent a fake transfer notification before blocking him on social media.
During investigation, Sophina reportedly claimed that the money had been handed over to another individual. However, she has allegedly been uncooperative in assisting investigators to trace the said person.
The EFCC disclosed that the suspect will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.