The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Office, Wednesday, arraigned Magaji Mijinyawa and Shehu Mahamoud over alleged N6 million fraud.
The duo said to be businessmen, were made to appear before Justice Darius Khobo of Kaduna State High court, sitting in Kaduna.
EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, in a statement, said the suspects were accused of fraud and obtaining money by false pretence.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Magaji Mijinyawa and Shehu Mahmoud sometime in June 2017 in Kaduna within the judicial division of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N6,227,000 (Six Million Two Hundred and Twenty-seven Thousand Naira) only from Aliyu Mohammed Gusau under false pretence that you have three plots of land for sale situated at Rigachikun, Kaduna, a claim you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Fraud Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The petitioner further alleged that after the commencement of construction work on the said land, it was discovered that it belonged to the state government, and had been set aside for the construction of a primary school.
But the duo, however, reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges.
It was on this basis that counsel for the EFCC, P.C.Onyeneho urged the court to fix a date for commencement of trial and to remand the defendants in prison.
Defence counsel, M.I. Ashir, however, prayed the court to grant his clients bail.
In his ruling, Justice Khobo granted them bail in the sum of N2 million and one surety each whom he said must have a landed property with Certificate of Occupancy subject to verification by the Court and the EFCC.
The case was, thereafter, adjourned to October 22 for trial.
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