The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Office, on Monday, July 27, 2020, arraigned the duo of Elijah Stephen and Ekundayo Alao, before Justice Darius Khobo, of the State High Court, sitting in Kaduna, on a two count charge bordering on conspiracy and theft.
The two accused persons ran into trouble, when the zonal office of the Commission received a petition from one Mary Dorathy Stephen, who alleged that from March 26 to April 7, 2020, a total sum of N450, 000, was withdrawn from her account in tranches and deposited into Ekundayo Aloa’s account without her consent.
She added in her petition that she never saw the withdrawal alerts on that transaction. However, investigations by the Commission showed that Elijah Stephen, her younger brother was the only person that had access to her ATM card in the past. His arrest led to the arrest of his accomplice, Ekundayo Alao who was the account owner where the money was transferred.
Count one read: “that you Elijah Stephen and Ekundayo Aloa sometime in April 2020, in Kaduna within the judicial division of the Honorable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to do an illegal act to; theft and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58(1) (a) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017 and punishable under section 271 of the said law”.
Another charge read: “that you Elijah Stephen and Ekundayo Alao between 2nd and 7th April, 2020 in Kaduna within the judicial division of this Honourable Court, did commit theft by dishonestly moving a total sum of N380, 000 (Three Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira) from the First Bank account of one Mary Dorathy Stephen without her consent and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 270(1) of Kaduna State Penal Code Law 2017 and punishable under section 271 of the said law”.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, prompting their Counsel, A. Audu, to move a motion for bail for them.
Justice Khobo, thereafter, granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N100, 00 (One Hundred Thousand, Naira, only) each, and one surety in like sum, who must be a resident of Kaduna State and must have a means of livelihood.
The Judge ordered that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody pending perfection of their bail conditions and adjourned the matter till August 12, 2020, for hearing.