A Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded an alleged fake aide to President Bola Tinubu, Igoin Peter, in Kuje Correctional Centre over an alleged N25 million fraud involving impersonation and false promises to secure cryptocurrency exchange operational licences.
Peter was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Obiora Egwuatu on a four-count charge bordering on impersonation and obtaining money under false pretence, after allegedly posing as a presidential adviser on ICT Development and Digital Innovation to defraud two companies.
The alleged offences were said to have occurred between August 30, 2024 and October 30, 2025 in Abuja, where the defendant allegedly obtained a total sum of N25,941,787 from Dontown Assets Limited through Smartz Skyward Energy Limited’s Zenith Bank account under the guise of facilitating a cryptocurrency exchange operational licence.
According to the EFCC, Peter allegedly misrepresented himself as the Special Assistant to the President on ICT Development and Digital Innovations and convinced the company that the funds would be used to secure regulatory approvals for cryptocurrency operations, claims the anti-graft agency said he knew to be false.
According to Count one of the charges; “That you, Igoin Tokoni Peter, sometime between 30th August, 2024 and 30th October, 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court with the intent to defraud, obtained the aggregate sum of N25,941,787.00 (Twenty Five Million, Nine Hundred and Forty One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Seven Naira) through Smartz Skyward Energy Limited account No 1312736201 domiciled with Zenith Bank from Dontown Assets Limited under the false pretense that you are the Special Assistant to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on ICT Development and Digital Innovations and that the said sum will be used to secure cryptocurrency exchange operational license which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1 (1) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”
Count 2, “That you, Igoin Tokoni Peter, sometime between 5th September 2024 and 10 October 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, with the intent to defraud, obtained the aggregate sum of N19,806,500.00 (Nineteen Million, Eight Hundred and Six Thousand, Five Hundred Naira ) through Smartz Skyward Energy Limited`s account No. 1312736201 domiciled with Zenith Bank from Jeriod Limited, under the false pretense that you are the Special Assistant to the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on ICT Development and Digital Innovations and that the said sum will be used to secure cryptocurrency exchange operational license which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(10 of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”
The prosecution said the offences contravened provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and are punishable under the same law.
Peter, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read before the court, prompting prosecution counsel, Christopher Mshelia, to ask the court for a trial date and an order remanding the defendant pending the determination of the case.
In his ruling, Justice Egwuatu admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N400 million with two sureties in like sum. The court ordered that both sureties must be residents of Abuja, with one required to be a property owner who must provide relevant property documents, valid means of identification and passport photographs.
The judge further directed that the second surety must be a civil servant not below Grade Level 15 and must also submit official identification documents and passport photographs.
Justice Egwuatu subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, while the matter was adjourned to July 16, 2026 for commencement of trial.