A Makurdi Upper Area Court on Friday ordered that a couple, Modesta and Michael Edeh, be remanded in a custodial centre for fraud.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the police charged the couple with criminal conspiracy and advanced fee fraud.

The Magistrate, Mr Vershima Hwande, did not take the plea of the couple for want of jurisdiction.

He ordered that they should be remanded in the Federal Maximum Custodial Centre, Makurdi.

The magistrate adjourned the case until March 6 for further mention.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Inspector Veronica Shaagee, told the court that the case was reported to the Commissioner of Police by ASP Geoffrey Gbidye of the State SCID through a petition dated January 20.

Shaagee said the petitioner said in 2020, he was lured by the agent of the couple to invest in an online business known as “Crowd I”.

She said the petitioner paid N100,000 and was promised N50,000 interest monthly.

She noted that during police investigation, the couple were arrested.

The offence, she said, contravened sections 8(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

She said investigation into the matter was still ongoing.