The Kano Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today 19th March, 2021 arraigned the trio of Shehu Abdullahi, Haruna Galadima and Suleiman Bello Abubakar before Justice Zuwaira Yusuf of Kano State High Court on a four count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.
The defendants allegedly connived and used forged documents to obtain the sum of N2, 200,000 (Two Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira) from Abdullahi, Zakari over a plot of land.
The victim alleged that he was approached by the first and second defendants for the purchase of a plot in Unguwa Uku, Kano and, after agreeing on a price, they gave him the land documents only for another person to later claim ownership of the land.
Investigation subsequently revealed that the documents given to the victim were forged.
Count one of the charge reads, ”That you, Shehu Abdullahi, Haruna Galadima and Suleiman Bello Abubakar sometimes in April, 2019 within the jurisdiction of this Court agreed to do an illegal act to wit: obtaining the sum of two million two hundred thousand naira from Abdulliahi Zakari in pursuance of that agreement you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded ”not guilty” to the charges.
In view of their plea, prosecution counsel Douglas I. Gift applied to the Court for a trial date and requested that the defendants be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Centre.
Counsel representing the second defendant, LB Zakari formally moved a motion for the bail for his client while counsel to the first defendant, Nasir A. Uba as well as his counterpart for the 3rd defendant, U.K Ogidi applied orally for the bail of their clients.
Both applications were argued, and Justice Yusuf subsequently adjourned the matter till March 25, 2021 for ruling on the bail applications and commencement of trial.
The defendants were also ordered to be remanded in the Nigerian Correctional Centre.
