The suspects were accused of posing as the boxer and sending electronic messages to two ladies and defrauding them of the sums of £10,000 and £5,491,23 respectively in London.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two men before Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court in Benin for allegedly impersonating British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua and defrauding unsuspecting victims.

Ukhuriegbe Irekpitan and Onyekwa Chinedum were arraigned on two counts each on Monday, according to a statement on Tuesday by spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Wilson Uwujaren.

According to part of the charges, the defendants were accused of allegedly sending electronic messages to two ladies and defrauding them of the sums of £10,000 and £5,491,23 respectively in London, sometime in 2019.

The alleged offences are said to be punishable under section 14 (2) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition Prevention, Etc) Act 2015.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

The prosecution counsel I.M. Elody asked for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in the custody of the Correctional Service.

Counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to remand them in EFCC custody, a move that was opposed by the EFCC counsel.

The judge adjourned the matter till October 21, and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Benin City.