How 419 suspects impersonated police officer, duped victims in Abuja

The police on Thursday arraigned three men before a High Court in FCT, Abuja on a six-count charge bordering on impersonation and advanced fee fraud popularly called 419.

Stanley Onwuka, Henry Ushi and Moshood Stephen allegedly impersonated Donald Onwuma, a Police Public Relations Officer attached to the peace keeping unit and duped unsuspecting civilians and police men.

They allegedly collected various sums of money electronically from civilians and police officers with a promise to send them to police foreign mission in Sudan.

They all pleaded not guilty to the offence.

The Counsel to the first defendant, Mr Benjamin Nwanokenye, urged the court to admit the defendant to bail because the offence was bailable.

But, the prosecuting counsel, Mr David Igbodo, opposed the bail, citing public interest.

He said that there was cause to believe that if granted bail the defendants would commit another offence.

“Their statement of account before the court shows their antecedent as that account was opened to defraud Nigerians because they do not go to the bank but use ATM to collect the money.”

Igbodo argued that although bail was at the discretion of the court, the court was enjoined to exercise the discretion judiciously.

He also said that Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 spelt out what the court should look out for in considering bail.

The prosecutor urged the court to refuse bail and rather order accelerated hearing of the case.

Justice John Tsoho ruled that it would amount to mere speculation for the prosecution to say that allowing the defendants their liberty would make the society unsafe.

“There is room for revocation of bail when it is breached rather than to out rightly refuse it based on speculative fear.”

Tsoho granted only the second defendant, Ushi, bail in the sum of five million and one surety in like sum because only he had served his processes on all counsel.

He ordered that the surety must reside and own a property in the FCT and must be willing to submit the title of the property to the court if need be.

He also ordered both defendant and surety to provide two recent passport photographs to the court in addition, Ushi should deposit his travel documents with the court.

Tsho adjourned consideration of the bail application for the other defendants and continuation of trial till Nov. 7. (NAN)

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