The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Kaduna zonal office on January 10, 2019 arraigned Bala Mohammed and Lamis A. Ahmed before Justice Mohammed Muazu of the Kaduna State High Court, on a six-count charge bordering on “criminal breach of trust and forgery” to the tune of ₦3,500, 000 (Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) only.
They were allegedly arrested by operatives of the Advance Fee Fraud Unit, acting on a petition by Prof. Sadiq Isah Raddah, who alleged that he paid them for the purchase of a piece of land located at the Rigachikun area in Kaduna, but the land documents issued to him turned out to have been forged.
One of the counts reads: “That you Bala Mohammed and Lamis A. Ahmed, sometime between 2014 and 2016 in Kaduna within the judicial Division of the High Court did conspired between yourselves to commit felony to with; criminal misappropriation and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 97(1) of the same Law”.
They reportedly pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
Prosecuting counsel, Onyeka Ekweozor, urged the court to fix a date for commencement of trial, and that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
Defence counsel, Ahmed Garba, made an oral application for bail.
Ekweozor, however, raised objection to the application.
Justice Tukur, thereafter, ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody, and adjourned to February 27, 2019 for “hearing”.