The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arraigned a traditional medicine man (native doctor) identified as Bala Tangalu before Justice A. B. Mohammed of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja.
Tangalu was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N2.5million.
Tangalu, who is a self-styled native doctor (Babalawo), was apprehended following a petition by one Dozie Ugonna, who claimed that he was scammed to the tune of N2.5million by the accused and his cohorts.
Ugonna said the money was meant to buy materials to neutralize some harmful charms purportedly contained in a carton filled with United States dollars.
The offence is contrary to Section 8 (a) and punishable under Section 8 (C) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006.
Particulars of court two reads, “Bala Tangalu, Ataye (still at large), Nnamdi (still at large) Peace (still at large) and Linda (still at large), in the year 2016 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the total sum of N2,540.000 (Two Million, Five Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira Only) from one Dozie Ugonna under the pretence that you are a native doctor a.k.a Babalawo and the monies were for purchase of materials to neutralize some harmful charms contained in a carton filled with United State Dollars, which pretence you knew to be false.”
The accused person, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Counsel to EFCC, Elizabeth Alabi, asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the accused in prison custody pending trial.
She also urged the court to consider the weight of the offence, which according to her carries a minimum of seven year jail term.
However, counsel to the accused, Yusuf Abdullahi, argued that he had a pending bail application before the court.
He added that the accused had been granted administrative bail by the EFCC which he had not breached and urged the court to adopt same bail condition.
Justice Mohammed, however, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N2 Million with two sureties in like sum.
According to the justice, sureties must be a civil servant or a community leader.
The matter was fixed for March 20, 2017 for trial.
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