The Maiduguri Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 arraigned one Ahmed Idris Alamin before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri.
The defendant faces a six-count charge, that border on forgery and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N6, 000,000.00 (Six Million Naira).
Investigations by the EFCC established that the Alamin fraudulently received the sums of N5million (Five Million Naira) and N1million (One Million Naira) respectively from two of his victims, under the false pretence of selling three plots of land to them. Investigations, however, showed that the said parcels of land were duly allocated to some other persons with certificate of occupancy, issued to them by the Borno State Ministry of Lands and Survey.
Upon the receipt of the sums, the defendant handed the victims, “applications for Grant of Right of Occupancy” for the lands and similarly, issued them forged Borno State Ministry of Lands and Survey “Right of Occupancy.”
Count one of the charges reads: “That you, Ahmed Idris Alamin, sometime in February, 2019 in Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained vide cash payment, the sum of N 5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) only, as part payment from one Denis Demi, under the false pretence of selling to the said Denis Demi, a plot of land: Plot 12, situated at BOTP/99, Residential Layout, Maiduguri, measuring 1,200 square meters with Right of Occupancy No. BO/22962, dated 12th May, 1994, bearing the name of one Abdul Sa’atar Mohammed, which 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. ”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Following his plea, prosecution counsel, A. U Ringim, asked the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in a Correctional Centre, pending the determination of the case.
Defence counsel, S. Alhaji, however, made an oral bail application of the defendant, which was refused by the court. Justice Kumaliya ordered that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to December 9, 2019 for commencement of trial.
