EFCC docks man for N300m fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, November 30, 2015 arraigned one Ibrahim Kamba and his company, Kamba Investment Nigeria Limited, before Justice S. Balami of the FCT High Court, Gwagwalada, Abuja on a nine-count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N300,000,000.00( Three Hundred Million Naira).

The suspect had allegedly indicated interest in a plot of land located at Plot No. 1750, Cadastral Zone Co4 Dape, Abuja, which one Musa Annas Sabi of Kamba Engineering Services wanted to sell for N60m( Sixty Million Naira).

Although the accused is said to have made an initial deposit of N15m (fifteen million naira) to Sabi, he could not complete the balance at the agreed time.

As a result, Sabi resolved to return the N15m he had initially received from the accused person, when he (the accused person) said he was no longer interested in the land.

But all efforts by Sabi to return the money were allegedly rebuffed by the accused person.

Unknown to Sabi, the accused person allegedly later sold the piece of land to the complainant, FirstChoice Properties Limited, for N300 million, using some forged letter head of Kamba Engineering Limited, Certificate of Occupancy and Memorandum of Understanding, among others.

Count one reads: “That you, Alhaji Ibrahim Kamba sometime in 2011 in Abuja within the Abuja judicial division of the High Court of the Federal Federal Capital Territory with intent to defraud obtain the sum of N300,000,00.00 (three hundred million naira) from Firstchoice Properties Limited under the false pretence of selling a parcel of land No. 1750 Dape District, Abuja, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to session 1(1) (a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under session 1 (3) of the same Act.”

Another count reads: “That you, Alhaji Ibrahim Kamba sometime in 2011 in Abuja within the Abuja judicial division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory with intent to defraud used as genuine a forged Memorandum of Understanding dated 10th day of December , 2010 between Annas Musa Sabi of Kamba Engineering Services Company Limited and Alhaji Ibrahim Kamba of Kamba Investment Company Limited in respect of plot No. 1750 in Cadastral zone Co4 Dape Abuja and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 of the Penal Code Law Cap 532 Laws of the Federation( Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 364 of the same Law.”

The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

In view of the plea by the accused person, the prosecution counsel, Salisu Majindadi, asked the court for two or three days to open and close his case, adding that he has enough witnesses to testify against the accused person.

The defence counsel, O.J. Aboje then moved the motion for bail application on behalf of the accused person.

After listening to both counsel, Justice Balami adjourned to December 1, 2015 for ruling on the bail application.