Nigerian beauty queen, Ugwu Joy, the reigning Miss Asaigbo 2016 has landed in prison after she was remanded by a Magistrate court sitting in Lagos over alleged involvement in N7.5million fraud.
Joy, now an inmate at the Kirikiri prisons in Lagos was revealed to be an alleged serial scammer according to police investigations. The beauty queen was reported to have duped innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians through a visa racket and ponzi scheme but landed in prison after police operatives arrested her following serial complaints from some of her alleged victims.
SunNewsOnline reports that the beauty queen of a pageant involving the core five South East states was seen as a symbol of the Igbo nation before her arrest. The Accounting student of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Accounting student, was reported to have set up a foundation to care for the vulnerable and needy kids after she lost her parents at a tender age.
Ugwu Joy, speaking earlier before her arrest during an interview had said revealed that she is the last child in the family of three. The native of Eha-Amufu in Isi-uzo Local Government area of Enugu State, said: “I had lots of things that motivated me to go for the Miss Asaigbo pageant. First, to me, pageants are fun, sparkles, glitter and shine, also to gain more self confidence, make new friends and enjoy the prestige of wearing the crown in my community.
“But most importantly, my motivation comes from using the platform to gain more awareness for my foundation, Feed the Poor and Orphan Initiative. Knowing firsthand how it feels growing up without parents, the passion for that kept me motivated and strong throughout the competition.
“My role model was my mum, though I was three-years-old when she passed on. The little memory and the stories I heard of her still make me smile when I remember them. She was a strong woman and made sure we didn’t go hungry kid, or stop schooling when my dad died, she’s and will always be my role model.
“Many pageant winners are focused on the girl child programmes already, my main focus now is not just the girl child, but every homeless, helpless and hungry kid on the street. They need to be shown love and I hope to be the gap between them and the rich that want to help, but don’t know how to go about it.”
Joy Ugwu who visited the Enugu prisons before her arrest celebrated her birthday with inmates adding that most of them were forced into the life of crime.
She said: “On my birthday, I visited the prisons with the goodies I got for them. Then, the warden officer gave me a tour and while he was at it, two boys were brought in and everyone started laughing and I asked why?
He explained that the boys were released just two days before, but were back, because all their friends and the love they could get was in the prison yard, as they had no one to show them love in the outside world when they were released.
So, they had to commit another crime in order to be brought back into prison. When I heard that, I froze. Imagine what love could prevent in our society? Crimes and hate will be reduced drastically if together we can make the world a better place.”
“The story of my life is enough inspiration to all who are looking up to me, I lost my parents at age three, I didn’t blame God or blame anyone… I folded my sleeves, worked very hard to get educated and prayed to God without ceasing. If I could be something today, anyone can be whoever they want to be… only God and yourself can.”
One of the victims of the beauty queen whom she had fleeced of his hard earned money, Jonathan, was reported to have been duped of N1million while another, Oby, was duped of N2million.
Jonathan whose visa request in care of the beauty queen fell apart said: “The girl duped me one million naira and the evidence is there. I didn’t have much to say, because she said she wanted the matter to be taken to court.
“What baffled me was the way she took the matter. It was quite obvious that she defrauded me. All she needed to do was to surrender and settle for peace to reign. I don’t understand why she decided to go to court; I heard the comments she made in the police station.
“The money is just one million naira and she behaved as if it was dollars. All I planned was to recover my money in a very simple way.”
A relation of the beauty queen, Bethel Chikezie said: “The case is not just a thing of today. The allegation was based on MMM. I don’t know if the person who reported her has any personal matter with her. Maybe the person does not like her.
MMM is not a recognised business in Nigeria, even the government warned when all these things came up. The point now is that they wanted her to pay for the thing, but she is saying no, because she did no wrong. Everybody did MMM, her own case could not be different.”