Fraudster Couple In Efcc Net
Fraudster Couple In EFCC Net
In its continued effort to rid the society of criminal tendencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wields the big stick by instituting a case against notorious 419 couple over land grabbing and extortion
By Chinedu Oguh, Port Harcourt
These are not the best of time for Port Harcourt based couple Mr. Wisdom Onwuegbu and his wife, Mrs. Julie Akue Owuegbu. The fleeing couple who are notorious in dirty land deals in Port Harcourt have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate and dragged to Federal High Court Port Harcourt, Rivers State, presided by Justice S. I. Mark who ordered their remand in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre for fraudulent land deals.
Tentacle gathered that the embattled couple were arraigned on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 by the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Commission on a three-count charge bordering on advance fee fraud and obtaining money under false pretense amounting to ₦10 million.
One of the charges reads: “That you Julie Akue Owuegbu and Wisdom Onwuegbu between April 11, 2024 and April 15, 2024 at Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained ₦10,000,000 from one Taofik Bello under the pretence of transferring and holding yourself as the rightful owner of a plot of land situated at Queen Park Estate in (Royal Park Estate) Ohia Eli, Eneka in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, the pretext you know to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
During commencement of proceedings, they pleaded not “guilty” following which prosecution counsel, I. Igwu asked the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in Port Harcourt Correctional Centre while the defence counsel, Igwe Okoronkwo informed the court of a pending bail application of the defendant before the court and urged the court to admit them to bail to enable them prepare adequately for their defence.
Justice Mark, however, ordered the remand of the couple at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre and adjourned to another date for ruling on their bail application.
Tentacle learnt that the couple who lived big in the city in lavish lifestyle have amassed stupendous wealth through fraudulent land deals, lived in expensive apartments and drove expensive cars.
Their journey to the correctional centre began with a petition in November 2024 in which the petitioner alleged that one Enitan Joseph sometime in April 2024 introduced him to the first defendant, Julie Onwuegbu with the claim that she had a piece of land to sell in Queens Park Estate Eneka, Port Harcourt at ₦10 million. Consequently, payment was made to the defendant in two instalments of ₦1 million and ₦9 million respectively into her Ecobank and First Bank accounts.
The petitioner alleged that the defendants provided him with a signed Deed of Conveyance as an authority for him to have access to the property but that his attempt to develop the land was stopped by someone who claimed ownership of the land.
In the petition, he further alleged that the first defendant could not do anything to resolve the matter and that when further enquiries were made on the land, it was discovered that the first defendant did not own any land in the estate.
Investigations revealed that the first defendant transferred part of the proceeds of her alleged crime to her husband’s company account. And that all efforts by the petitioner to either recover the land or his money proved abortive, until he finally met their waterloo.
Still on issue of landlord in Port Harcourt, a lady identified as Uche Hairy Angel has disclosed how she was allegedly rejected by several landlords and caretakers in Port Harcourt because of her beard. Uche said one caretaker invited her from Owerri to inspect an apartment but later allegedly told her agent she refused to rent the house to her because of her appearance.
She claimed another landlord made her fill forms through her lawyer before allegedly admitting he was afraid to rent his house to her, while another reportedly increased the rent and demanded two years payment after seeing her, only to later rent the same apartment to someone else at the normal price and one year agreement.
The young woman said the repeated rejection has caused her emotional stress, isolation and depression. “What is my crime?”, she asked emotionally, while vowing that she would one day become a landlady in Port Harcourt herself.
