The Kaduna Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on December 18, 2018 arraigned one Shinum Adinga before Justice Muhammed Muazu of the Kaduna State High Court on a two-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and obtaining by false pretence.
Adinga had deceived his victim into parting with N4,050,000 in instalments in the belief that it was being invested in a ginger farming business, which turned out to be false.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Shonum Adinga, sometimes in 2016 in Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N3,830,000 (Three Million Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira) by way of instalment payment from one Peter Onyeka Sunday also called Peter Eze through your wife’s account Margret Shunom, domiciled with Diamond Bank under the false pretence that the said money will be invested for ginger business, which will generate profits on the said amount, a pretence you knew was false and you there by 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”.
He pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to him.
Prosecuting counsel, Onyeka Eze, asked the court for a date for trial to commence.
Defence counsel, Y. Makarfi, however, urged the court to grant his client bail.
While adjourning to January 29, 2019, Justice Muazu, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1million with one surety in like sum who must be a public servant not below grade level 16 with a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court covered by a Certificate of Occupancy.