The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Maiduguri Zonal Directorate, on Wednesday, dragged four suspects to court over alleged N50 million fraud.
The defendants, Mohammed Kolo Nuhu, Babagana Maru, Ahmadu Sale, and Alhaji Mala Gana, were brought before Justice Muhammad Maina of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri.
According to a post on the anti-agency’s X, the defendants were arraigned on different counts of “criminal misappropriation and breach of trust to an aggregate sum of N50,030,000 (Fifty Million Thirty Thousand Naira only).”
The charge against one of the defendants, Nuhu, reads: “That you, Mohammed Kolo Nuhu and Kolomi Global Link Nigeria Limited sometime in September, 2022 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, misappropriated and converted for your own use the sum of N18,900,000.00 (Eighteen Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) only belonging to one Mohammad Baba Shettima given to you by a Non- governmental Organisation, Action Against Hunger and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code Law of Borno State (Cap. 102 Vol. 3 of 1994) respectively.”
Maru, another defendant’s charge was stated as follows, “That you Babagana Maru, sometime in 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit; N8,500,000.00 (Eight Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) by Imam Manu Dauda being advance payment for the purchase of tricycles did dishonestly misappropriated the entire sum of N8,500,000.00 (Eight Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Law Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State and punishable under section 312 of the same law.”
The statement further added that when the separate charges were read, the defendants pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution counsel, S.O. Saka and Faruku Muhammad, asked the judge to set trial dates and keep the accused in prison while they await trial.
On the other hand, Maru’s lawyer, Z.M. Umaru, asked the judge to let Maru go free on bail.
“Justice Maina thereafter admitted Maru to bail in the sum of N10m with two sureties in the like sum. One of the sureties must be a blood relative of the defendant or a traditional titleholder.
“The cases were adjourned to April 26, 2025, for commencement of trial and all the defendants were remanded in Maiduguri Maximum Correctional Center,” the statement added.
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