BY SNOW TV NEWS DESK
The Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Marian Elia, 19, and her boyfriend Izuchukwu Uzoma, 21, before Justice C. A. Obiozor of the Federal High Court over the alleged theft of ₦35,920,000.
The pair face a seven-count charge bordering on cybercrime, conspiracy, and stealing. Prosecutors say Elia, who grew up in the home of the victim, Mrs. Esther Ogbeifun, used her access to the woman’s phones and bank details to transfer the money from Ogbeifun’s Moniepoint account into Uzoma’s United Bank for Africa account between March and July 2026. The funds were then allegedly converted to their personal use.
One of the charges states that the defendants used an access device belonging to Mrs. Ogbeifun to move the sum, an offense under Section 33(2)(c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act 2015 (as amended in 2024).
Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel I.M. Elodi applied for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded. Justice Obiozor ordered them detained at the Benin Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to 7 December for hearing.
SNOW TV NEWS EDITORIAL ASSESSMENT
Trust is often the easiest door for thieves to walk through. A young woman raised in the victim’s household allegedly turned intimate access into a multi-million-naira betrayal, funneling the money straight to her boyfriend.
The case is a sharp reminder that cybercrime is not always the work of distant hackers—sometimes it starts at home, with someone who already knows the passwords.
Sir Bartholomew White Ebe is a Nigerian Media Personality, Music Artist, Producer, Blogger and a Relationship Coach. He is a publisher specializing in Nigerian current affairs, politics, and lifestyle news. As the founder and chief editor of Snow Multimedia Connect {SNOW TV} he leads the editorial team to deliver verified, high-impact stories to digital audiences.”
Email: snowmediaconnect@gmail.com
