The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC will on Thursday, May 7, 2015 arraign two senior officials of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory over land scam.
They are: Muhammed Yau Gital, former Chief of Staff to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Bala Mohammed and Sani Abba, Deputy Director, Mass Housing at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA.
The duo will be docked before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office.
Gital and Abba allegedly conspired and defrauded one Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu, managing director of Visioni and Strauss Nigeria Limited to the tune of N60m on the pretext that the said sum would be used to facilitate the change of Land Use in respect of Plot No: 523, Cadastral Zone BOO Kukwaba District from Passive Recreation to Residential.
Similarly, the anti-graft agency on Wednesday, arraigned the trio of Mohammed Zahradeen Bello, Abdullahi Musa and Yusuf Baba before Justice I. U Bello of Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on a 5-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, conspiracy and forgery.
The suspects allegedly conspired and stole a Right of Occupancy belonging to Freelands Estate Limited from the custody of Abuja Geographic Information Systems, AGIS.
Upon their pleas, the defence counsel, S. A. Adeleye urged the court to admit the accused persons to bail pending trial.
Justice Bello ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to May 20 and 27, 2015 for ruling on the bail application and commencement of trial respectively.
Meanwhile, EFCC has also secured the conviction of Ifeanyichukwu Williams, who was being prosecuted before Justice O. O. Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court, Owerri, Imo State on a 2-count charge bordering on conspiracy, and dealing in petroleum product without appropriate license, contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Ifeanyichukwu was arrested by men of the 34 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Owerri, on April 8, 2012 along Owerri-Onisha Road, Imo State, with a Volvo Truck with registration number: XN939FST, loaded with 42 drums of petroleum product without appropriate license. He was subsequently handed over to EFCC for prosecution.
He was first arraigned in 2012 and pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him.
At the resumed trial on Monday May 4, 2015, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge. Shortly before the sentencing on Tuesday, May 5, 2015, the defence counsel, M. L. Amiamum, pleaded for justice to be tempered with mercy for his client, Justice Oguntoyinbo subsequently sentenced the accused to three years imprisonment.
He ordered the convict to forfeit the petroleum product to the EFCC, while the truck is released to him.
The sentence is to run concurrently from the date of his arrest.
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