The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi Zonal office, on March 25, 2020, arraigned one Ishaya John Moses, on a one - count charge for allegedly Obtaining Money by False Pretence, Conspiracy and retention of proceed of crime. Ishaya was arraigned before Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon sitting at the Federal High Court Makurdi, Benue State.
The one count reads: “That you, Ishaya John Moses sometime in November, 2019 at Makurdi, in the Makurdi Judicial Division of this honourable Court did by concealment retain the control of the sum of N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) only, in your UBA Account No. 2135982316, being the proceed of a criminal conduct on behalf of one Oke knowing that the money is got as a result of criminal conduct by the said Oke and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 17(b) of the same Act".
The defendant, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charge was read to him.
Prosecution counsel, Y. Y. Tarfa, asked for a trial date and to remand the defendant in correctional custody pending his bail.
However, the counsel to the defendant, I. M. Mari, did not oppose the application for a trial date, but filed an application for bail on behalf of his client and urged the court to grant his client bail on most liberal terms.
Justice Olajuwon admitted the accused on bail in the sum of N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) with one surety in like sum.
According to the Judge, the surety must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the Court and he must be a civil servant on grade level 10 and above, and must show evidence of tax payment.
He must also submit two recent passport photographs.
Ishaya was remanded in EFCC custody pending the perfection of his bail condition.
The case was adjourned till May 19, 2020 for commencement of trial.
Trouble started for Ishaya when the EFCC received a petition from a complainant who alleged that sometimes on the November 1, 2019, he lost about N1, 280, 000 (One Million, Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira) through a telephone conversation to some fraudster who had posed as a staff of First Bank Plc, headquarters, Lagos.
The caller had asked for his bank details which he supplied and subsequently, he started receiving alert on his phone.
Investigation traced the sum of N200, 000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) from the complainant's account to a UBA Account No. Ll2135982316 belonging to and being operated by the defendant, Ishaya John Moses.
Media & Publicity
March 25, 2020