Tunde Bakare
The Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, arraigned one Bukar Umar Alhaji before Justice Muhammad Maina of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on a two-count bordering on obtaining by false pretense and criminal misappropriation to the tune of N 2,100,000( Two Million One Hundred Thousand Naira only)
Count one of the charges reads: ” That you Bukar Umar Alhaji, with National Identification Number (NIN) 9584243514, and Babagoni Umar (now at large), sometime in March, 2022, in Maiduguri Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did with intent to defraud obtained the gross sum of N 2, 100,000.00 ( Two million, One Hundred Thousand Naira) from Ibrahim Ismail under the guise that the said money is for the sale of two plots of land to him situates at Mafa Local Government Area, Borno State, the land which you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a)&(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2005 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
Counsel to the prosecution, Faruk Muhammad prayed the court for a trial date and to remand the defendant in prison custody.
Justice Maina thereafter adjourned till December 4, 2023 for commencement of trial and remanded the defendant in Maiduguri Maximum Correctional facility.
His journey to the correctional facility started when he sold two plots of land not belonging to him and refused to pay back the money paid to him by his victim.