N2.2b Fraud : Ex-N/East Development Commission Project Coordinator Remanded In Prison

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Zuba on Tuesday ordered the remand of the former project coordinator of the Northeast Development Commission, Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed and his associate, Prince Chibuike Echem, at the Suleja prison, Niger State.

Justice Keziah Ogbonna, issued the remand order shortly after their arraignment on a 55 criminal count charge bordering on advance fee fraud, forgery and award of fake contact.

Among others the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleged that Mohammed, Echem and another person, Aminu Alhaji said to be at large of defrauded one Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu, a whopping sum of N2.2 billion between May 2022 and February 2024, under the pretence of awarding him contract from the Northeast Development Commission.

Ifekudu who is said to be the Managing Director of Diamond Leeds Ltd, was said to have been made to part away with the sum through a coordinated advance fee fraud.

In another count, the duo were said to have between January and December 2023, obtained another sum of N649.5 million from their victim using the bank account of Prince Echem under the claim that they have capacity to award to his company contracts from the multi-sectoral crisis projects (MCRP), of the Northeast Development Commission.

They were also accused of collecting another N573 million from the same contractor through a Wema Bank account belonging to Echem on the same grounds.

Besides, the EFCC also accused them of obtaining under false pretenses a sum of $480 thousand, $200 thousand between January to December 2022, under the guise of awarding him contracts.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charged read against them by the judge, prompting the EFCC’s lawyer, Olarenwaju Adeola, to plead for a date for commencement of trial.

However, frantic efforts by Chukwuka Obidike, to argue their bail application was rejected due to opposition by the EFCC.

The EFCC lawyer, while opposing the bail request told the judge that the anti-graft agency was served with the bail application in the evening of January 26 and that he only saw it in the courtroom, on January 27.

Adeola insisted that the bail application wàs not ripe for hearing because he needed to file a counter affidavit to legally object to the request.

In a brief ruling Justice Ogbonna agreed with the EFCC’s counsel that the application was not ripe for hearing, adding that allowing it to be argued would amount to denial of fair hearing on the part of the prosecution.

Consequently, the judge fixed March 25 to April 7, for full blast trial of the defendants.

Garry Ochigbo, Edited By Grace Namiji