A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has remanded an indigene of the state, Victor Thompson, over an alleged $525,276 fraud involving American investors.
He allegedly defrauded several Americans, including Tammy Jensen, Kenneth Blad, and Peter Jensen, by posing as an investment facilitator in mineral resources and deep seaport development.
Thompson was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Uyo Zonal Directorate, before Justice Maureen Adaobi on an eight-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.
One of the charges stated that, “Thompson, between April and December 2024, fraudulently obtained the sum of $213,350 from the victims under the pretence of investing the funds in mining and deep seaport businesses, an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.”
After the charges were read to him, Thompson pleaded not guilty. The prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, urged the court to remand the defendant pending trial and requested a date for the commencement of proceedings.
Defence counsel, Savn Daniel, filed an oral application for bail, which was opposed by the prosecution.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Adaobi adjourned the matter to March 19, 2026, for ruling on the bail application and the commencement of trial. She ordered that the defendant be remanded at the EFCC detention facility in Uyo.
