The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 arraigned one Abdulkarim Usman before Justice S. L. Shuaibu of Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on a 3-count charge of fraud to the tune of N2.5million.

The complainant, one Mukhtar, alleged that sometime in 2016, he accosted Usman to order for Honda V6 from Cotonou, Benin Republic.

According to Mukhtar, a sum of N2million was transferred to the account of Usman in a new generation bank, which the accused acknowledged upon receipt. But, Usman neither supplied the car nor refunded the money.
While investigation into the matter was going on, another complaint was again lodged against same Usman. This time, he allegedly connived with his brother, Inusa Abdulkarim, who has remained elusive, to defraud one Taufiq Kailani Mohammed to the tune of N593,000 (five hundred and ninety three thousand naira) under the pretext that he had secured a contract from the Nigeria Communication Commission, NCC, for supply of engine oil. Mohammed, without doubt, sent the said sum to Usman through one of his sisters, but later discovered that it was a phony deal.

One of the counts reads:

“That you, Abdulkarim Usman (m) sometime in 2016 in Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N2million from one Muktar Sani under the false pretence that you are capable to supply him with Honda V6 one door and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.
The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Counsel to EFCC, Saidi Joshua, urged the court to fix a date for trial to commence, but the defence counsel through an oral application asked for bail of the accused which was rejected by the court.

Justice Shuaibu adjourned to March 8, 2017 for hearing on bail application and ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody.

Media & Publicity
1st March, 2017