The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned one Ahmed Tijjani Umar and his two companies, Eximab Integrated Link Limited and Minanta Enterprises Limited before Justice Tukur Mu’azu of Kaduna State High Court on three counts of obtaining under false pretense and issuance of dud cheque.

The accused person allegedly induced the complainant to part with the sum of N24 million under the guise that the said amount was management fees in respect of contract purportedly from the National Assembly for the supply of pipes and sanitary wares to the “National Assembly Quarters, Lugbe Abuja”. The purported contract, according to the accused person, was worth N2, 051,534,525.00.

Investigation into the alleged fraud revealed that the accused person had used his company Eximab Integrated Link to award the purported contract to the complainant, Fenabros Limited.

It was further revealed that in order to deceive the complainant, the accused person through his other company, Minanta Enterprises, issued two Access Bank cheques in the sum of N7.5 million each, which were returned unpaid due to lack funds in the account.

One of the charges reads: “That you Ahmed Tijjani Umar, EXIMAB INTEGRATED LINK LIMITED on or about the 10th of August 2010, in Kaduna, within the Judicial Division of the Kaduna State High Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N24,000,000 (Twenty Four Million Naira Only) from Fenabros Limited by falsely representing that the said N24,000,000 was a 3% part payment of Management fee in respect of a contract for the supply of pipes and sanitary wares which pretense you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Sections 1(1)(b) and punishable under Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.”

Tijjani pleaded not guilty after listening and understanding the contents of the charge.

Prosecution counsel, Nasiru Salele requested the court for a trial date in view of the plea of the accused person and also asked that the accused person be remanded in prison custody

However, counsel representing the accused person K. Olowookere made an oral application praying the court to admit his client to bail.

Salele replied that the accused person would not be available for his trial if granted bail. He reminded the court that this particular case came up on two occasions in October and December of 2015 and on both dates, the accused person failed to appear in court which compelled the court to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.

Justice Mu’azu agreed with the argument of the prosecution and refused the bail application. The case has been adjourned to November 10 and 11 for the commencement of trial.

Update news