By Chizoba Ogbeche
Abuja
A suspected fraudster, Edward Abiodun, was Wednesday, arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before Justice Beatrice Iliya of Gombe State High Court, Gombe, on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy, impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence.
The commission’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, in a press statement, issued yesterday in Abuja, said the accused person and his accomplices, Murtala Bello and Esther Momoh, who are now at large, had allegedly claimed to be staff of the EFCC, Abuja office, in order to dupe one Umar Bello.
He said the complainant alleged that Bello had, on March 13, 2015, phoned him, assuring him that the syndicate could ‘kill’ the purported petition written against him, if he could pay the sum of N10 million.
Uwujaren said the accused was said to have sent the phone number of Momoh’s who he claimed to be a Principal Detective Superintendent (PDS), with EFCC to the victim for further discussion on how the money could be paid to them.
According to the spokesperson, the complainant also alleged that the suspects offered to collect N300, 000 from him when he could not raise the initial N10million demanded.
He further said that one ‘Laolu Adegbite’, who claimed to be the officer handling the purported case, sent an SMS to him on March 19, 2015, summoning him to appear before the commission on March 23, 2015 and owing to the persistent threat by the syndicate, he paid the sum of N50, 000 into Abiodun’s Diamond bank account number: 0044213102, which was sent to him by Momoh on March 25, 2015.
The victim, he said was compelled to petition the EFCC following persistent threat over the balance of N250, 000 leading to the arrest of the accused by personnel of the commission.
Uwujaren said the accused pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him and in view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Zarami Muhammad, asked for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the accused person in prison custody.
He said the defense counsel, Micheal Ofoma, did not oppose the prayer for a trial date by the prosecution counsel and after listening to both counsel, Justice Iliya adjourned the matter to October 26, 2015 for hearing of bail application and ordered that the accused person be remanded in prison custody.
