The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Blessing David-Agwa before Justice Mohammed Umar at the Federal High Court in Independence Layout.
According to an EFCC statement on Wednesday via X, David-Agwa alleged to be a fake fertility nurse, faces 45-count charges bordering on fraudulent impersonation, forgery, and obtaining by false pretence involving N28,278,600.00.
The first charge read against David-Agwa states: “That you, Blessing Amaka David-Agwa, sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of N1,600,000.00 from one Okenwa Joy Chiamaka under the pretence of being a Medical Fertility Nurse (specially trained to assist women get pregnant with ease), which pretext you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The second charge read: “That you, Blessing Amaka David-Agwa, sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of N1,250,000.00 from one Amarachi Okpala under the pretence of being a Medical Fertility Nurse (specially trained to assist women get pregnant with ease), which pretext you knew to be false, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The statement noted that David-Agwa pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following her plea, EFCC counsel, Blessing N. Obasi requested a trial date and asked for David-Agwa to be remanded at the Enugu State Correctional Facility.
In response, the defence counsel, G. C. Madubuegwu, highlighted a pending bail application dated October 4, 2024, urging the court to grant bail on “liberal terms.”
Although the prosecution strongly opposed the bail application, citing the weighty allegations against David-Agwa and emphasizing the effect of crime on the victims’ mental health.
Justice Umar remanded David-Agwa to the Enugu State Correctional Facility and adjourned the matter to November 12, 2024, for a ruling on the bail application.
David-Agwa’s case commenced on August 28, 2024, after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) handed the defendant over to the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the EFCC for investigation and possible prosecution.
The drug agency discovered that the defendant paraded herself as a medical fertility nurse with the alleged intent to defraud unsuspecting victims.
Further investigation revealed that David-Agwa allegedly forged her certificate from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
She is suspected of defrauding over 45 innocent women who fell for her false claims of assisting women in getting pregnant.
By Helen Okechukwu
