The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal office, has arraigned the duo of Mainasara Malami and Emmanuel Salihu (both staff of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp) on a two count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence; before Justice Umar Dogon Daji of the High Court of Sokoto State.
They both pleaded not guilty, and Prosecution Counsel Saad Hannafi Saad, requested for a date for commencement of trial while praying the accused be remanded in prison custody.
Defence Counsel tried to move an oral application for bail of the accused persons but Justice Dogon Daji refused, asking that formal applications for bail must be filed.
Justice Dogon Daji thereafter, ruled that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the matter to 8th of October, 2018 for hearing of bail applications and commencement of trial.
The journey of the duo to prison was sequel to a petition received by Kaduna Zonal office of the EFCC against Mainasara Malami of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), Sokoto State Command, alleging that he represented himself as capable of securing employment for various persons and obtained the sum of N2,750,000.00 (Two Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from unsuspecting members of the public.
Investigations into the matter revealed that Mainasara admitted to have collected the sum of money in excess of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million) for job offers with the NSCDC which he claimed to have done at the instance of his boss, one Inspector Emmanuel Salihu of NSCDC Headquarters Abuja; and that all monies realised from job offers sold were transferred to the account of the said Emmanuel Salihu.
During interrogation, Emmanuel Salihu also admitted to have received N694,000.00 from Mainasara Malami for the purpose of securing employment in the NSCDC with the help of his friend, one Ibrahim Mohammed who claimed to be working with the Presidency.
One of the count charge reads: “That you Mainasara Malami and Emmanuel Salihu sometime in October, 2017 in Sokoto within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Sokoto State with intent to defraud, obtained the total sum of N2,750,000.00 from some members of the public under false pretence of securing employment with the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp for them which you knew to be false and you and thereby committed 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”.
