The EFCC Kaduna Zonal Office on Monday, November 4, 2019 arraigned Muhammed Abdullahi Rangai on a four count charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of nine million, eight hundred thousand Naira ( N9,800,0000) before Justice Mohammed Tukur of the State High Court, Kaduna.
Rangai’s trouble began when the Kaduna office of the Commission received a petition against him by Ezest Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, alleging that the defendant, in a partnership arrangement, tricked the company to supply petroleum products to two companies, Nasco and Sunseed Nigeria Limited, for which he received payment, but only remitted N2.700,000 after several months of pressure, leaving an outstanding balance of N15,5m.
Count four reads: “that you Muhammed Abdullahi Rangai and ( others at large) sometime in 2019 at Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court of Kaduna State fraudulently uses a genuine a forged document titled ” NASCO GROUP OF COMPANY, LOCAL PURCHASE ORDER dated 28th February, 2019″ for the supply of 40,000 litres of Diesel ( AGO) for the sum of N9,800,000.00 ( nine million, eight hundred thousand Naira) which was acted upon by EZEST OIL & GAS NIG and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 344 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 347 of the same Law”.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge against him prompting counsel to EFCC, S.H Sa’ad to urge the court to fix a date for commencement of trial while the defendant is remanded in a Correctional Centre.
Inda Liman, counsel to the defendant, pleaded with the court to grant his client bail to enable him prepare for his trial.
The trial judge fixed November 11, 2019 for trial while ordering the defendant to be remanded in the custody of Nigeria Correctional Service.
