The Federal High Court in Enugu has ordered the remand of an Enugu businesswoman, Mbah Chidinma Sophina, at the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) facility after she pleaded not guilty to charges of alleged forgery, identity theft and possession of fraudulent documents.
Sophina was arraigned by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo on a three-count charge bordering on possession of fraudulent documents, forgery and identity theft.
According to the anti-graft agency on Thursday, the charges stem from evidence allegedly uncovered during an investigation into a separate fraud complaint involving a prospective traveller who claimed to have paid the defendant to facilitate his relocation to the United Kingdom through a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for a caregiver job.
The petitioner alleged that he met Sophina on TikTok in 2024 and informed her of his intention to relocate to the UK. He claimed to have paid her ₦19.084 million to procure the required CoS but alleged that she failed to provide the promised documents and subsequently blocked all communication with him.
The EFCC said a search conducted at the defendant’s residence during the investigation led to the recovery of an identification card bearing her photograph but carrying the name Florence-Gweh Doaryenneh, prompting additional investigations into alleged identity theft and forgery.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Mbah Chidinma Sophina, sometime between 1st of January, 2026 to 30th of April, 2026 at Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, had in your possession, a document asserting that you are Florence-Gweh Togba Doaryenneh, which to your knowledge contained a false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 6 1 (3) of the same Act”.
Count two reads: “That you, Mbah Chidinma Sophina, sometime between 1st October, 2023 to 25th October, 2023 at Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, knowingly forged a Last Minute Healthcare card with number 03332408969 bearing the name of Florence-Gweh Togba Doaryenneh which you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, 2004 and punishable under the same Section of the Act”.
Sophina pleaded not guilty to all three counts after they were read in court.
Following her plea, counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC Ahmad Abdullahi, urged the court to fix a trial date to enable the prosecution present its evidence and also sought an order remanding the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending trial.
Defence counsel, M. I. Odo, requested a short adjournment to enable him file a formal bail application on behalf of his client.
In his ruling, Justice Giwa-Ogunbanjo adjourned the matter until November 19, 2026, for trial and ordered that Sophina be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Enugu pending further proceedings.
Meanwhile, the defendant is also facing a separate prosecution before Justice C. A. Ogbuabor of the Enugu State High Court on a two-count charge of alleged stealing and obtaining by false pretence involving ₦19.084 million.
She pleaded not guilty in that case and was granted bail, while the matter was adjourned until September 18, 2026 for trial.
As with all criminal proceedings, the charges against Sophina remain allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until the prosecution proves its case before the court.