Joseph Bakare
The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Paulinus Ani before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N8, 130, 000. 00 (Eight Million, One Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira).
The lone count charge reads: “That you, Paulinus Ani sometime between October, 2015 and June, 2018 at Enugu, Enugu State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, with intent to defraud, induced one Severus Ifeanyi Odoziobodo to deliver to you the sum of N8, 130, 000. 00 (Eight Million, One Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira) under the pretence that you would sell to him (7) plots of land: three (3) plots at Emene Industrial/Residential Layout and four (4) plots at Independence Layout Phase II, Enugu, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of the 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
Ani pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him. In view of his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Nasir Umar prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded at the Enugu Correctional Facility.
However, the defence counsel, O. S. Imaji informed the court about a pending bail application before it and thereafter moved the said application, urging the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms, adding that the defendant had a reliable surety.
Responding, the prosecution vehemently opposed the said application on the ground that “land scam is becoming prevalent in Enugu”, urging the court to dismiss the said application.
After listening to both sides, the court granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum who must be residents of Enugu state. The defendant was remanded at the Enugu Correctional Facility, pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
The matter was thereafter adjourned to January 23, 2025 for trial.
The defendant’s issue with the Court began on January 1, 2021 when the Commission received a petition from one Ifeanyi Odoziobodo alleging that in 2016, the defendant, who was an alleged staff of Ministry of Land and Urban Development, Enugu State offered him some plots of land in Emene and Independence Layout of the State which he claimed were up for allocation to any prospective buyer.
After being presented with allocation papers to that effect, the petitioner paid N8, 130, 000. 00 to the defendant, not knowing that the said plots of land had already been sold to other persons who have been issued Certificates of Occupancy. Efforts made by the defendant to recover his money proved abortive.