EFCC arraigns NECO director for N4m scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday
arraigned an Assistant Director with the National Examination
Council, Muhammadu Umar, before Justice M. T. Salihu of the Federal
High Court, Maiduguri, on three counts of fraud to the tune of
N4m.

Umar allegedly approached the proprietor of Success Private
School claiming that he had the instruction of his employer (NECO)
to collect NECO Senior School Certificate Examination registration
fees of students in the school.

The EFCC said in a statement by its Spokesman, Mr. Wilson
Uwujaren, that the proprietor of the school gave the money to Umar
and when the money was not remitted to NECO, many students were not
able to sit for the SSCE.

One of the charges reads, “That you, Muhammadu Umaru, between
January 2015 and February, 2016 at Maiduguri, Borno State within
the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud,
induced one Pastor Kofi Gyimah, the Proprietor of Success Private
Schools, Maiduguri, to deliver to you the sum of N3.7m only via
your Zenith Bank (personal) Current Account No. 1002064892 under
the false pretence that you were authorised to receive same for and
on behalf of NECO being payments for June/July 2015 SSCE
registration fees and thereby committed an offence contrary and
punishable under Section 1(1)(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud
and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 respectively.”

The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Counsel for the EFCC, Haruna Abdulkadir, prayed the court to fix
a date for trial and to remand the accused person in prison
custody.

However, the defendant’s counsel, B. K. Alhaji, through an oral
application, prayed the court to admit his client to bail.

Justice Salihu ordered the defendant to be remanded in prison
custody pending the hearing of the bail application on July 6,
2017.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday
arraigned an Assistant Director with the National Examination
Council, Muhammadu Umar, before Justice M. T. Salihu of the Federal
High Court, Maiduguri, on three counts of fraud to the tune of
N4m.

Umar allegedly approached the proprietor of Success Private
School claiming that he had the instruction of his employer (NECO)
to collect NECO Senior School Certificate Examination registration
fees of students in the school.

The EFCC said in a statement by its Spokesman, Mr. Wilson
Uwujaren, that the proprietor of the school gave the money to Umar
and when the money was not remitted to NECO, many students were not
able to sit for the SSCE.

One of the charges reads, “That you, Muhammadu Umaru, between
January 2015 and February, 2016 at Maiduguri, Borno State within
the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud,
induced one Pastor Kofi Gyimah, the Proprietor of Success Private
Schools, Maiduguri, to deliver to you the sum of N3.7m only via
your Zenith Bank (personal) Current Account No. 1002064892 under
the false pretence that you were authorised to receive same for and
on behalf of NECO being payments for June/July 2015 SSCE
registration fees and thereby committed an offence contrary and
punishable under Section 1(1)(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud
and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 respectively.”

The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Counsel for the EFCC, Haruna Abdulkadir, prayed the court to fix
a date for trial and to remand the accused person in prison
custody.

However, the defendant’s counsel, B. K. Alhaji, through an oral
application, prayed the court to admit his client to bail.

Justice Salihu ordered the defendant to be remanded in prison
custody pending the hearing of the bail application on July 6,
2017.