A travel agent identified as Safiyanu Umar has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before a Kano State High Court on a four-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretense.
It was gathered that the suspect defrauded one Salisu Bkeke alongside eight others to the tune of N3, 050,000 under the pretext of helping them procure visa, air ticket, transportation and accommodation in Saudi Arabia for the 2013 lesser Hajj.
The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren in a statement said “Efforts of the victim to either secure the documents or get a refund of his money were futile, as the suspect became incommunicado.”
One of the charges reads: “That you Alhaji Safiyanu Mohammed, sometime in June 2013, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kano State, with intent to defraud, falsely represented yourself that you are operating a travel agency capable of obtaining visa and other travel documents, and obtained the sum N700,000 through your account No. 1020105938 domiciled at a new generation bank from Hajiya Hadiza Mu’azu, purporting to secure a visa for travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act..”
Umar however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Auta consequently adjourned the case till May 21, 2015 for trial, while ordering that Umar be remanded in prison custody.
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