| The suspects |
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, on Monday, July 3, 2019, arraigned the trio of Alhaji Kabiru Ali, Yusuf Bello and David Boniface before Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a three-count charge bordering stealing and money laundering to the tune of N17, 850, 00.00 (Seventeen Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand).
The defendants were arrested, following a petition received by the Commission on May 13, 2019 from the complainant, Ali Isa.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Alhaji Kabiru Ali, Yusuf Bello, David Boniface and Abdul Isa, a.k.a. Harrison (Still at Large), sometime in May, 2019 in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to indirectly conceal the sum of N17,850,000 (Seventeen Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) in the Guarantee Trust Bank account of Baalina Nigeria Limited, which sum you ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful act to wit: stealing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (a).15 (2) (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibited Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act. ”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, A. O. Mohammed, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Justice Oweibo adjourned the case to November 5, 2019 for hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial.
The defendants were ordered to be remanded in Ikoyi prison custody.