The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, August 2, 2021, arraigned one Samuel Umaru Gyang and J.A Gamba (at large) before Justice Darius Khobo of Kaduna State High Court, Kaduna for conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.
A petitioner alleged that sometime in January 2019, Gamba offered him four plots of land through Samuel Umaru Gyang at the cost of N3.5 million per plot and he made an initial deposit of N1.5 million but Gamba failed to show him the property or documents to prove its existence. All efforts to recover his money proved abortive.
The charge reads, “That you Samuel Umaru Gyang ‘M’ sometime in June 2019 in Kaduna within the Judicial Division of the High Court with intent to defraud falsely obtained the sum of N1,500,000.00 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), from one Bala Dada under the false pretence that you own 4 plots of land at Nigeria Prisons Service Layout, Barnawa by Television Village, Kaduna, a pretence you knew is false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to 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”.
He however pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him. The prosecuting counsel, Y.J Matiyak prayed the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in the Nigerian Correctional Service pending trial.
The defence counsel, P.V Agbe however urged the court to admit the defendant on bail.
Justice Khobo granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2 million naira and one reliable surety in like sum.
The surety must be an owner of a property-backed with a Certificate of Occupancy which must be investigated by the court registrar and EFCC.
The case has been adjourned till October 18, 2021, for hearing.
