The Kaduna zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Matthew Adamu before Justice M. T. M Aliyu of the Kaduna State High Court, on a one count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence.
According to the charge, Adamu, sometime in December, 2018, obtained the sum of N830,845.96 from the estate of late Inspector Jerry Yohanna Irimiya, by portraying one Japheth Jerry as the rightful next of kin to the deceased Inspector Jerry Yohanna Irimiya.
Trouble started for Adamu when the Commission received a petition from one Juliana Jerry, alleging that sometime in 2017, after the death of her husband, he seized the late officer’s phone and ATM debit card and conspired with one Japheth Jerry and withdrew the sum of N830, 000 being the life savings of her late husband. All efforts to recover the money proved abortive.
Adamu, who is said to be a cousin of the deceased, claimed the family at a meeting, after which all documents belonging to the deceased (police officer) were handed to him to help process the payment of money in his bank account.
However, upon investigation, it was discovered that the defendant lured one Japheth Jerry, son of the deceased, to sign an affidavit, changing the next-of-kin on the deceased bank account for which he received a token from the money withdrawn, while the defendant converted the remaining for personal use.
The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge, after which the prosecution counsel, P.C Onyeneho asked for a date for commencement of trial, while the defence counsel, Olugbenga Ogunniran moved an application for bail.
The judge granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N1million with a surety in like sum. The surety must be, either a blood relation with landed property covered by Certificate of Occupancy or a civil servant not below Grade Level 10.
The case has been adjourned till September 30, 2021 for trial.
