2023 Elections: EFCC arraigns senatorial candidate in Kano over $1.3m fraud

Ifeoluwa Akinola

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned Abdulsalam Abdulkarim, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, in the just concluded Kano Central senatorial election before a Federal High Court in Kano.

Abdulkarim, popularly known as A.A. Zaura, was arraigned on Wednesday before the court on a four-count charge of obtaining by false pretence. This came a few days after Abdulkarim lost his bid to represent his senatorial district at the red chamber.

He was alleged to have defrauded a Kuwaiti national of $1.3 million under the pretext that he was in the business of building properties in Dubai, Kuwait and other Arab countries.

He was re-arraigned before the court after the Court of Appeal quashed the earlier discharge and acquittal judgment of the court and ordered his retrial.

One of the charges read, “That you, Abdulkarim Saleh Abdulssalam, sometime in August 2014, at Kano within the Kano Judicial Division of the High Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000.00) from Dr. Jamman Al- Azmi when you represented that you can partner with him for a joint venture business, which representation 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”. 

Zaura pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to him.

Upon an application for bail by his counsel, Ishaq Mudi Dikko (SAN), the trial judge, Justice Muhammad Yunusa, ruled that the defendant continues with the bail terms earlier granted to him by the court.

The judge adjourned the matter to May 2 for the commencement of the trial.