BY AYO ESAN
THE Benue Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Thursday, arraigned one Ahmed Abdullahi Babami before Justice Aondover Kakaan of the Benue State High Court, Makurdi, for allegedly obtaining N3.5m by false pretence.
The charge read, “That you, Ahmed Abdullahi Babami sometime in May, 2016 in Makurdi, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N3,500,000.00 (Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) only, from one Musa Abdullahi Plato, under the false pretence that the money so obtained would be returned to him in two hours time, a pretence you knew was false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge, following which prosecution counsel, George Chia-Yakua asked the court for a commencement date of trial, while defence counsel, Ibrahim Mari, urged the court to admit his client to bail on liberal terms, noting that the defendant had been on EFCC’s administrative bail and had not failed to respond to any of the Commission’s invites.
Justice Kakaan admitted him to bail in the sum of N500,000.00 with two sureties in like sum. Each of the sureties, the judge said, must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court with fixed address.
He ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional center, pending the perfection of his bail terms and adjourned the case till December 16, 2020 for hearing.
Similarly, one Ayoo Toryila Manasseh was docked by the Benue Office of the Commission before Justice Moris Ikpambese of the Benue State High Court, Makurdi on a one-count charge of alleged criminal breach of trust to the tune of N417,000.00 (Four Hundred and Seventeen Thousand Naira).
The charge read, “That you, Ayoo Toryila Manasseh, on or about the 20th December 2019 at Makurdi, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, being entrusted with the sum of N417,000.00 (Four Hundred and Seventeen Thousand Naira) only, transferred to your First Bank Plc Account No. 2017780980 by one Lucky Kyase for the purchase of thirty (30) bags of rice, which you dishonestly converted to your own use and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 312 of the Penal Code cap. 124 (Revised Edition) Laws of Benue State, 2004 and punishable under Section 313 of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge, and thus, set the stage for prosecution counsel, Mary Onoja to ask the court for a commencement date of trial and for him to be remanded in prison custody.
Defence counsel, S. S. Ayua, however, urged the court to admit his client to bail on liberal terms, noting that the defendant had been on EFCC’s administrative bail and had not failed to respond to any of the Commission’s invites.
Justice Ikpambese admitted the defendant to bail in the sum N100,000.00 with one surety in like sum.
The surety, the judge said, must show evidence of tax payment of three years, and must be on salary Grade Level 10 and above if he is civil servant. He must also submit a copy of letter of employment as well as a copy of his identity card to the court.
He ordered that the defendant be remanded in the correctional center pending the perfection of his bail terms and adjourned the case till February 8, 2021 for trial.
