EFCC arrests man for N8m fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi Zonal Command, arraigned one Ibeana Chukwudi Peter before Justice Ibiora Atuegwu Egwuate of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a two-count charge of allegedly obtaining the sum of N8, 700, 000.00 (N8m) by false pretense.

Count one reads, “That you Ibeana Chukwudi Peter between February and March, 2019 in Makurdi within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N5,700,000 (Five Million Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) only from the complainant via bank transfer in three trenches into your GT Bank Account No. 0040064274 under the pretence that you would use the money as Capital to supply Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to customers and share the profit which you knew to be false and thereby committed 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”.

Count two reads, “That you Ibeana Chukwudi Peter on the 7th November, 2018 in Makurdi within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira) only from the complainant via bank transfer to your Company’s Zenith Bank Account No. 1015150702 Chukspet Global Resources under the pretence that you would use the money as Capital to supply Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to customers and share the profit which you knew to be false and thereby committed 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”.

When the charges were read to the defendant, he pleaded ‘not guilty.’

In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, M. Yusuf, asked the court to remand the defendant at the Correctional Centre and fix a date for trial to commence.

But the defense counsel, T. P. Akaa urged the Court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms.

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Justice Ibiora granted the defendant bail in the sum of Twenty Million Naira (N20, 000,000.00) with two sureties in like sum.

The sureties must possess a landed property in Abuja and submit their Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), with means of identification, including two recent passport photographs to the Registrar of the Court.

The defendant was remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the perfection of his bail conditions.

The matter was adjourned till September 14, 2021, for trial to commence.