RismadarVoice Reporters, March 12, 2026
Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested a 33-year-old woman, Mbah Chidinma Sophina, over an alleged case of criminal breach of trust and obtaining money under false pretence amounting to N19 million and €8,370.
According to the EFCC, Sophina allegedly defrauded her victim under the pretext of facilitating the procurement of a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to enable him relocate to the United Kingdom for employment as a caregiver.
The arrest followed a petition by the victim, who disclosed that he met the suspect on TikTok in 2024 while searching for opportunities to relocate abroad.
In the petition, the victim stated that Sophina claimed to be an Assistant Psychologist at the Priory Health Unit in Glasgow, Scotland, and assured him that she had contacts capable of securing a CoS for between €12,000 and €13,000.
She reportedly instructed the victim to make payments partly in Nigerian naira and partly in euros. While she provided her personal bank details for the naira payments, she allegedly directed that the euro payments be made into foreign accounts belonging to her associates, claiming she did not use her personal foreign accounts for business transactions.
The petitioner said he paid N19 million in eight tranches between August 8 and November 12, 2024, and also made four euro payments totaling €8,370 between August 12 and November 21, 2024, for the processing of the CoS.
However, after receiving the payments, the suspect allegedly failed to deliver the promised document despite months of waiting. When the victim demanded a refund, she reportedly sent a fake transfer notification before blocking him on social media platforms.
During investigation, the EFCC said the suspect claimed that the funds had been handed over to another individual but has shown little cooperation in helping investigators identify or reach the alleged accomplice.
The anti-graft agency stated that the suspect will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
