EFCC arraigns man over alleged N15.5m theft, prosecutes fake UITH CMD
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Mike Obaze, before an Ikeja Special Offences Court for allegedly stealing N15.5 million.
Obaze was arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-fadipe on a three-count charge bordering on stealing.
He denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty.
Following his plea, EFCC counsel, Ahmed Yerima, prayed the court for a trial date. But the defendant’s counsel, Nneka Nkana, told the court that he had filed an application for bail, dated February 13, 2024.
The prosecution informed the court that he had just been served with the application and needed time to go through it.
The anti-graft agency had alleged that the defendant committed the offences between November and December 8, 2021, in Lagos.
Yerima submitted that the defendant converted N7 million, being proceeds from the sale of a Mercedes Benz GL 12 model, property of one Anene Nwandukwe. He also alleged that the defendant converted N8.5 million, proceeds from the purchase of a Toyota Corolla 2015 model and Toyota Camry 2011 model, to his personal use.
Justice Abike-fadipe, therefore, remanded the defendant at a correctional centre, pending hearing of his bail application, and adjourned till February 22, for continuation of trial.
SIMILARLY, the anti-graft agency, yesterday, arraigned one Chidiebere Cyril at the Kwara State High Court for allegedly impersonating the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).
The agency dragged him to court on a twocount charge of defrauding some job seekers by presenting himself as the CMD.
The defendant allegedly made claims on his Facebook page about sale of employment slots into UITH and asked job seekers to pay between N200,000 and N400,000 before they could be considered.
EFCC alleged that the defendant had obtained about N18 million from job seekers before it was discovered that the employment offers were spurious.
According to the prosecutor, the alleged offence was contrary to Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Consequently, his counsel, C. I. Chime, prayed the court to admit his client to bail.
In a short ruling, Justice Adenike Akinpelu dismissed the application on the ground that the defendant failed to provide enough evidence to persuade the court to admit him to bail. He adjourned till a later date to be communicated to all the counsels.
Recall that Cyril was arrested and paraded in September 2023 after making the claims in April 2023.
A petitioner (names withheld) had written the Ilorin zonal command of the EFCC, intimating it of various moves by Cyril to defraud innocent citizens.
According to the petitioner, "candidates who are degree holders were asked to pay N400,000, while holders of National Diploma were to pay N200,000 for job slots."