The police on Wednesday arraigned a contractor, Mohammed Usman, in an Upper Area Court in Mpape, Abuja, for allegedly defrauding a businessman of the sum of N12.6 million.
Usman, 41, of No 3, Queen Amina road, Kaduna, is charged with criminal conspiracy, impersonation, forgery and cheating.
The Prosecution Counsel, Noel Umeji, told the court that sometimes in March and April the defendant and others now at large pretended to be staff members of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and presented forged NPA’s letterhead contract papers to one Benedict Igbiado.
Umeji said in the process the defendant fraudulently obtained the sum of N12.6 million under the guise that he had secured a genuine contract for him.
He said during police investigation it was confirmed that the contract was false.
Umeji said the case was reported by the complainant, Benedict Igbadio of Pyakasa Area, Abuja, to Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team through a petition endorsed by the IG.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 97, 179, 364, 324 of the Penal Code.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences.
The Judge, Hassan Muhammad, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N13 million, with two sureties in like sum.
Muhammad said one of the sureties must be a level 10 officer of the Civil Service.
Muhammad adjourned the case until Aug. 5, for hearing.
(NAN)
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Buy and read digital replicas of your TRIBUNE titles by subscribing through E-VENDING
Nigeria’s COVID-19 Cases Hit 13,464 After 663 New Infections
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 663 new cases of COVID-19 in the country, bringing the total number to 13,464… Read full story
Olu Jacobs Is Alive, Says Lala Akindoju
As anxiety over the rumoured death of veteran actor, Olu Jacobs, heightened in the last two hours, popular actress and a close member of the family, Lala Akindoju, has debunked the death rumour. Rumours of the demise of Jacobs were rife on social media platforms but Akindoju said the news should be disregarded as Jacobs was doing fine… Read full story
and then