The Gombe Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 arraigned the quartet of Usman Umar Usman (a.k.a Babangida), Ishaq Ibrahim, Yason Sajo Musa and Babayo Abdullahi Dukku, before Justice N.I. Afolabi of the Federal High Court, Gombe, Gombe State, on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N11,000,000.00 (Eleven Million Naira).
The Commission had on August 29, 2018 received a petition from Magaji Doho & Associates on behalf of Muhammad Magaji Dojo against the defendants.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Usman Umar Usman sometime on or about the 22nd day of November, 2016 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain money the sum of N10, 000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) only, through your G.T Bank from one Alhaji Muhammad Alhajyal under the false pretence of selling a plot of land, covered by Certificate of Occupancy No. BA/16291, knowing fully that you have no ownership over the said land and diverted the said sum to your personal use, and thereby committed an offence contrary to the provision of Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges, prompting the prosecution team of A.Y. Muntaka and G.I. Ndeh to ask for a for trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in prison custody.
The defence team of A.K Abdullahi and Alhussain Ibrahim, however, prayed the court to remand the defendants in EFCC custody.
Justice N.I. Afolabi adjourned the matter to November 7, 2019, and remanded the defendants in prison custody.