The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned 3 persons for obtaining money by false pretence, criminal misappropriation and cheating to the tune of N20.5m (Twenty Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).
The accused persons, Ali Alhaji Isa, Alhaji Ali Abubakar, and Ibrahim Suleiman Magaji, were arraigned on Thursday, September 7, 2023, before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri.
TheFact Daily learns from the charges read against Ali Alhaji Isa that he, sometime in January 2021, obtained an aggregate sum of N4,000,000.00 (Four Million Naira) only from one Mohammed Alhaji Bukar under the false pretence of supplying by-products of wheat flour from Crown Flour Mills Ltd to him, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The second defendant, Alhaji Ali Abubakar, on his part, was charged with falsely obtaining from one Bahir Usman Malgwi the sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) only, under the guise that the said sum represents payment for the supply of Hospital Equipment to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano. The said sum was received into Abubakar’s account number 0022162645 domiciled at Unity Bank, with an account name Al Seal Enterprises, thus committing an offence contrary to section 1 (1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 3 of the same Act.
The third defendant, Ibrahim Suleiman Magaji, was accused of dishonestly misappropriating and converting for his personal use the aggregate sum of N11.5m (Eleven Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), which he received from one Umara Bukar under the guise of purchasing and supplying 24 tons of Hibiscus flower (Zobo) to him. This is contrary to and punishable under sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code Law of Borno State (Cap. 102 Vol. 3 of 1994) respectively.
The defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges preferred against them.
Counsel for the prosecution, Faruq Muhammad, who appeared alongside Abdulmalik Aliyu and A. Y Ayenshola asked for the remand of the defendants as well as a date to prove the case against them.
Justice Fadawu adjourned the matter till September 14th, 15th, 19th 20th, and 21st, 2023 for commencement of trial and remanded the defendants in prison custody.
