THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a fake Air Force officer, Ahmed Umar, before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on a two-count charge of cheating and obtaining by false pretense.
Umar was arraigned before Justice A.O. Adeyemi on Monday, August 8.
The EFCC, in a statement signed by its Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, said the defendant allegedly presented himself as a Flying Officer of the Nigerian Air Force and obtained the sum of N300, 000 from one Caleb Ibrahim on the pretext of securing a job for him.
One of the counts reads, “That you, Ahmed Umar, sometime in 2022 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) from Caleb Ibrahim under the pretense that you will secure job for him which pretense 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, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
Another count reads, “That you, Ahmed Umar, sometime in 2022 at Abuja, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did cheat by personation, by representing yourself to be a Flying Officer of the Nigerian Air force, using the Nigerian Air Force Identity Card No. 19SVC: 19/21609 bearing your name Ahmed Umar and obtained the sum of N300,000( Three Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Caleb Ibrahim and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 321 of the Panel Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 324 of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Prosecution counsel Maryam Hayatudden prayed the court to remand the defendant at a correctional facility and set a date for trial.
Defense counsel, Larry Ademokoya, urged the court to grant the defendant bail.
Justice Ajayi adjourned the matter till August 15 for hearing of the bail application and remanded the defendant in the Kuje Custodial Centre.
A reporter with the ICIR
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