The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission EFCC has arraigned the duo of Essien Ekanem, a Kaduna lawyer and
Murtala Shariff, before Justice Tukur Muazu of Kaduna State High Court on a 9-count
charge bordering on conspiracy, Criminal Breach of Trust and Obtaining Money
under False Pretence.
Sharif who is presently serving 2-year jail term in a case of Forgery preferred
against him by the EFCC, allegedly conspired with Ekanem and four others
currently at large, forged document and sold a plot of land located at No. 5
kwato Road, Unguwar Rimi GRA, Kaduna belonging to Col. A. B. Umar (deceased) , to
one Alhaji Ibrahim Idris of No. 6 kwato Road, Unguwar Rimi GRA, Kaduna at the
cost of N64,000,000.00.
Count one reads, “That you Murtala Sharif Ahmed (a.k.a Mohammed Sfarif Ibrahim,
Muhammadu Sharif), Essen Ekanmen Cletus Iliya, , David Michael (at large), and
Joel (at large) sometime around 2nd August, 2010 and 21st
September, 2011 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kaduna State
conspired among yourselves to commit an unlawful act with: obtaining a total
sum of N64,000,000.00 (Sixty Four
Million Naira) only under false pretences and you thereby committed an offence
contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related
Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 8 (c) of the same Act”.
The accused persons pleaded “not
guilty” to all the charges and counsel
to EFCC, Nasiru Salele urged the court to fix a date for trial.
Justice Muazu however adjourned the
case to 14th April, 2016 to enable the prosecution to arrest those
at large or to apply for separate trial.
He also granted the second accused person bail
in the sum of N1m and one well known surety within the jurisdiction of the
court.
The first accused person, already
serving jail term, is to be brought on the next adjourned date from prison for
commencement of trial.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
1st March, 2016
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