… EFCC Arraigns Two for N1.8m Job Scam
… Army Hands Over Three Suspected Oil Thieves to EFCC
SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, (THEWILL) – An FCT High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice O. A. Adeniyi on Tuesday convicted and sentenced one Mustapha Suleiman to two years imprisonment without an option of fine for issuance of dud cheque. His company, Caliphate Global Investment Limited was fined one hundred thousand naira (N100, 000.00).
The convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in 2009 on one count charge of fraud and issuance of dud cheque.
He allegedly bought a plot of land from Alhaji Samaila Shehu (now late), for the sum of thirty one million naira (N31, 000,000.00). He paid the sum of N4, 500,000.00 (four million, five hundred thousand naira) and promised to pay the balance of N26, 500,000.00 (twenty-six million, five hundred thousand naira).
In a bid to offset the balance, Suleiman issued a cheque which, upon presentation, was dishonoured as a result of insufficient fund in his account.
Justice Adeniyi found the accused guilty as charged and sentenced him to two years imprisonment.
The charge reads: “That you Caliphate Global Investment Limited and Alhaji Mustapha Suleiman being the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Caliphate Global Investment Limited sometime in February 2009 in Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory with the knowledge that you had insufficient funds in your account issued to one Alhaji Samaila Shehu Mani an Oceanic International Bank Plc cheque dated 16th March, 2009 for the sum of twenty six million, five hundred thousand naira which said cheque when presented for payment within three months of issuance was dishonoured due to insufficient fund in your account and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of the Dishonoured Cheque (Offences) Act Cap D11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under section 1 (1) (b)( i) (ii) of the same Act”.
EFCC Arraigns Two for N1.8m Job Scam
The duo of Bernard Chukwuma Muoghalu and Anyiam Isabella have been docked before Justice V. N. Agbata of the Anambra State High Court, Onitsha, on a 12-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence.
The accused who are being prosecuted by the EFCC allegedly conspired and obtained various sums of money totalling N1,800,000.00 (one million, eight hundred thousand naira) from some job seekers with promise of helping them to secure jobs with the Onitsha North Local Government Council.
After collecting money from them, the accused persons issued fake employment letters to the applicants and asked them to report for work, assuring that their names were already on the payroll.
The bubble burst when, after several months of working without pay, the job seekers discovered they had been duped.
Count two of the charge against the duo reads: “Bernard Sunday Chukwuma Muoghalu and Anyiam Isabella sometimes in November 2011 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of the Anambra State High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N320, 000.00 (three hundred and twenty thousand naira) from Mr. Okey Obiagwu under the false pretence that you have secured a job for Mrs. Okey Okeke Anuri Obiagwu at Onitsha North Local Government Council, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence”.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges and were granted bail in the sum N500, 000.00 (five hundred thousand naira) each and a surety in like sum. The sureties, who must reside within the jurisdiction of court, are to present to court, two passport photographs and evidence of tax payment for the past three years.
The matter was adjourned to July 1, 2014 for trial.
Army Hands Over Three Suspected Oil Thieves to EFCC
Three suspected oil thieves arrested by officers of the Guards Brigade, Nigerian Army, have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation and possible prosecution. The suspects: Gbenga Olusegun , Mohammed Yusuf, Auwal Abbas were arrested on May 12, 2014 at Toto Check Point, Keffi, Nasarawa State with a truck loaded with 33,000 litres of petroleum product suspected to be crude oil, and a Honda Civic Car.
Ibrahim Yidi, Head, Extractive Industry Fraud Section received the suspects on behalf of the EFCC at a brief ceremony at the Commission’s headquarters May 17.
