Court remands PAN staff in prison for N2.5m fraud

The Kaduna Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 arraigned one Yohanna Adamu before Justice P. Mallong of the Federal High Court, Kaduna on one-count charge of cheating and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N2,500.000, (Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).

Trouble began for Adamu when the Kaduna office of the Commission received a petition from Professor I.O. Mbachu, alleging that sometime in October, 2018, he was approached by the defendant who proposed to assist him buy a Peugeot 508 car, in an auction by Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited (PAN), Kaduna at the said sum .

The petitioner further alleged that he made payment to the defendant through his bank account. According to him, upon receipt of the payment the defendant became evasive, while the car was not released to him as agreed. All efforts to get back his money also failed.

The charge reads: “That you Yohanna Adamu while being a staff of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, Kaduna, sometime in October, 2018 at Kaduna, within the judicial division of the Federal High Court of Justice did with intent to defraud, falsely obtained from one Professor I.O. Mbachu of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, the sum of N2,500,000.00 ( Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) by falsely representing to him the auction of a Peugeot 508 (black colour) by Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited, Kaduna and you issued him with (2) cash receipts, bearing payment for the car for total sum of N2,500,000 which you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offence Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3)of the same Act.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge, prompting the prosecution counsel, S.H. Sa'ad to ask the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service.

Solomon Utuagah, counsel to the defendant did not object to the motions by EFCC counsel.

The trial judge ordered the defendant remanded in Nigeria Correctional Service custody and fixed November 5, 2019 for commencement of trial.