Inspector General of Police (IGP) has amended the charge preferred against two suspected impersonators the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Segun Aina and re-arraigned them on Tuesday before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
The two defendants; Arinze Nwogba and Sunday Nweke, were re-arraigned before Justice Salim Ibrahim on a seven-count amended charge bordering on impersonation, fraud, cybercrime, among others.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read out to them.
The police had, on October 2, arraigned Nwogba on a six-count charge on allegations that he and others, now at large committed the impersonation and other criminal offences.
Nwogba, who was remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja after he pleaded not guilty, was admitted to a N50 million bail with two sureties on October 7.
The judge had adjourned the case till Monday for commencement of trial, but when the matter came up, the prosecution lawyer told the court that the IGP had filed an amended charge after the arrest of Nweke, who is Nwogba’s accomplice.
Justice Ibrahim fixed Tuesday for the defendants’s arraignment and when the case was called on Tuesday, counsel for the police, Stanley Medugu, prayed the court for the amended charge to be read to the defendants so they could take their plea.
Ifeanyi Nworie, who appeared for the defence, did not object but informed the court that Nweke would need an Igbo interpreter because he did not understand English.
After an interpreter was provided, the seven counts were read to the defendants in which they pleaded not guilty to.
In the light of the plea of the defendants, Medugu sought a trial date to establish their case against the suspects.
Although, Nworie did not oppose the application, the lawyer said he had gone through the charge and saw that it was almost the same with the earlier charge filed against Nwogba and prayed the court to permit Nwogba to continue to enjoy the earlier bail conditiions.
The lawyer also said that Nweke’s bail application would be filed as soon as it was prepared.
The prosecuting lawyer did not oppose Nworie’s application and Justice Ibrahim adjourned the case till November 25 for trial and ordered Nwogba to continue with the earlier bail terms, while Nweke is to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre.
In count one of the amended charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/612/2026, Nwogba of No. 16 Emeka Egbe by Roban Stores, Nweke of Nkpor Junction, both in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, and others now at large, were alleged to have, sometime in the year 2026, conspired among themselves to commit felony.
They were accused of impersonation, identity theft, unlawful access to a computer and computer related fraud.
They were accused to have committed the crime with the intent to gain financial advantage to themselves contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3)(a)(b) & (4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended) 2024.
Count seven accused Nweke and others now at large of fraudulently impersonating the Personal Assistant to the JAMB registrar with the intent to gain financial advantage to themselves by using account numbers: 3237208748 and 0870096728 domiciled with First Bank and EcoBank respectively.
The offence, the prosecution said, is contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3)(a) & (4) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended), 2024.
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