The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, arraigned one Kebiru Haruna and a company, Zainab Courage Corporate Limited, before Justice C.N Orji of FCT High Court, Apo Abuja, on four-count charges, bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of ₦16 million (Sixteen Million Naira, Only).
One of the count charges read: “That you Zainab Courage Corporate Limited on or about May 2014, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the FCT, with intent to defraud, did conspire with Kebiru Haruna to obtain the sum of ₦15, 000,000(Fifteen Million Naira) only, receipted from Hajiyah Asman Abubakar (representing Abubakar Sale Abubakar), by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8, of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act. 2006 and punishable under section (3) of the same Act”.
After the charges were read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution counsel, Ike Okonjo, urged the court for commencement of trial and asked the court not to grant the defendant bail, adding that the defendant be remanded in prison custody considering the gravity of the offence.
Justice Orji noted that considering the Covid-19 pandemic, it was in the court’s discretion to grant bail since the defendant had earlier been faithful to his administrative bail. He granted bail to the defendant in the sum of ₦ 5million (Five Million Naira only) with two sureties.
One of them must be a level 17 officer in public service and lives within the jurisdiction of the court. Justice Orji adjourned the matter till October 22, 2020, for the commencement of the hearing.