A man who claimed to be a security agent with the Department of State Security, DSS, and duped victims on the pretext of getting them secret service jobs has been charged to a high court in Abuja.

The impersonator, Mohammed Ayuba, was on Wednesday arraigned at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Gudu, by the  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a nine – count charge of impersonation and intent to defraud.

Prosecuting counsel, Yetunde Alabi, told the trial judge, JusticeAdebukola Banjoko, that Ayuba had claimed to be a staff of DSS,Abuja an identity with which he milked his unsuspecting victims – Amos Emmanuel, Ayuba Danjuma, Istifanus Yohanna, EmmanuelAyuba and Blessing Gajere – of N465, 800 under the pretext of offering them jobs with the secret service.

One of the nine-count charges against the accused reads: “That you, Mohammed Ayuba a.k.a Alfa Musa… with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of Sixty Three Thousand Six Hundred Naira(N63,600.00) from one Amos Emmanuel… when you falsely represented yourself as capable of providing him job with the Department of State Security Services which pretence you knew to be false…”

The EFCC lawyer said the offence committed is contrary to section  1 (1)b of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related OffencesAct, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act.

However, the accused person pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

Alabi then asked the court to proceed with the case by fixing a date for trial, while also urging it to remand the accused person in prison custody.

Defecnce counsel, Bassey Nweke, asked the court to grant his client bail as the offence is bailable.

Justice Banjoko granted bail to the accused person in the sum of N5million with two sureties in like sum.

“One of the sureties must be a public servant not below grade level 12 and must present a letter of attestation from his organization.  One of the sureties must also possess a landed property in Abujawith Certificate of Occupancy duly verified,” the judge specified.

Trial of the accused would commence on November 19.

In a related development, the EFCC also arraigned one Ekaete ImeSam before Justice Banjoko, for fraudulently obtaining N2.3million from one Jerry Ekezie under false pretence.

Sam pleaded not guilty to all the 5-count charges and was remanded in prison custody pending ruling on the bail application fixed for July 26, 2013.