EFCC Operatives
EFCC
EFCC Operatives
EFCC Arraigns Kano Gov Candidate for Alleged $1.3m
Fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on November 19,
2018 arraigned Abdulsalam Saleh Abdulkareem, a governorship
candidate of the Green Party of Nigeria, GPN, and Ebere Nzekwe,
before Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Kano on a
nine-count charge of criminal conspiracy and obtaining money by
false pretence to the tune of $1,320,000 (One Million, Three
Hundred and Twenty Thousand Dollars) only.
The petitioner alleged that sometimes in 2014, the defendants
connived to fraudulently obtained the said sum from him in the
belief that it would be used for business investment which
eventually turned out to be false.
Abdulsalam also allegedly met with his Personal Assistant, one
Muhannat in a hotel in Republic of Kuwait for a talk on the said
dealings. The meeting led to his (Abdulsalam’s) invitation to
Nigeria via a company, Seit Nigeria Limited. It was during this
meeting that the total sum of One Million Five hundred USD (1,500,
000USD) was displayed to him as the sum belonging to the alleged
partner in the acclaimed investment.
One of the counts reads: ”That you Abdulkareem Saleh Abdulsalam,
Ebere Nzechukwu (aka General Aria), Michael Edosa (at Large),
sometime in August 2014, at Kano within the Kano Judicial Division
of the High Court, with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain the
total sum of one million, three hundred and twenty thousand dollars
($1,320,000.00) from Dr. Jamman Al-Azmi when you represented that
you have the capacity to partner with him for joint venture
business, which representation you knew to be false, thereby
committing an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance
Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and
punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Both defendants pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read
to them.
Prosecuting Counsel, Johnson Ojogbane, asked the court for a
date for hearing sequel to the plea of the accused persons.
The defence counsel, Dr. K.M. Liman, SAN and Chris Asekome,
however, moved their bail and prayed the judge to grant the
defendants bail as “they have already been enjoying an
administrative bail given by EFCC”.
Ojogbane did not oppose the application for bail but stated that
“if his lordship is inclined to grant their bail, he should do so
with the knowledge that the first accused person jumped bail and
did not show up the last time the matter was fixed which made it to
be adjourned for today”.
Justice Allagoa, thereafter, granted the accused persons bail in
the sum of N100 million and one surety in like sum; the surety, the
judge said must have a landed property in Kano.
The case has been adjourned to January 29 and 30, 2019 for
hearing.
Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity