The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Mbah Chidinma Sophina before the Federal High Court in Enugu over allegations of identity theft, forgery and possession of fraudulent documents.
The defendant appeared before Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu, on a three-count charge filed by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency.
According to the EFCC, Sophina allegedly possessed documents falsely identifying her as one Florence-Gweh Togba Doaryenneh between January and April 2026 with the intention of defrauding unsuspecting victims.
The Commission also accused her of forging a Last Minute Healthcare card bearing the same name in October 2023, an act it said contravenes provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following her plea, EFCC counsel Ahmad Yusuf Abdullahi asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the commencement of proceedings.
Defence counsel M. I. Odo, however, requested a short adjournment to enable him file a bail application on behalf of his client.
Justice Giwa-Ogunbanjo adjourned the case until November 19, 2026, for trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Enugu Correctional Centre.
The EFCC disclosed that Sophina is also facing a separate criminal trial before Justice C. A. Ogbuabor of the Enugu State High Court on a two-count charge bordering on alleged stealing and obtaining by false pretence involving N19.084 million.
In that case, she was granted bail after pleading not guilty, while the matter was adjourned until September 18, 2026, for trial.
According to the Commission, the separate prosecution followed a petition from a complainant who alleged that he met the defendant on TikTok in 2024 while seeking to relocate to the United Kingdom as a caregiver through a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
The petitioner claimed he paid the defendant N19.084 million to facilitate the process, but she allegedly failed to provide the promised documents and subsequently blocked all communication with him.
The EFCC said a search of the defendant’s residence during investigations led to the recovery of an identification card bearing her photograph but carrying the name Florence-Gweh Togba Doaryenneh, which forms part of the evidence in the ongoing prosecution.
