The Police on Thursday arraigned two men before an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court in Karu for allegedly committing a land fraud with a forged signature of the Minister of the Fedral Capital Territory, FCT, Bala Mohammed.

The accused persons are Ikechukwu Chukwukere and Abdullahi Idris.

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Atteh Effiong, a sergeant, the witness and Investigative Police Officer, IPO, Abbah Alfred, in charge of the case, said the alleged victim was one Okpara Samuel of Owner Occupier Estate in Kubwa, Abuja.

Alfred told the court at the resumption of hearing in the case that the accused persons collected the amount from the complainant in a deal to process land documents for him at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA.

He explained that Chukwukere had introduced Idris as an employee of FCDA with a promise to deliver the land documents within a few weeks and somehow succeeded in convincing Samuel to part with the sum of N200, 000.

He said that the accused persons actually handed the documents to the complainant, only it was later discovered to be forged even though they were delivered in the FCDA letterhead.

Alfred said investigations later revealed that Idris never worked with FCDA but merely posed as a member of its staff to carry out the act and that the accused persons had the intention to defraud the complainant as they were not property agents.

The prosecutor later tendered written statements allegedly made by the accused persons at the police station and the land documents as exhibits, which were admitted by the court.

Both accused persons pleaded not guilty and were granted bail for N200, 000 each.

The magistrate adjourned the matter till July 21 for continuation of hearing.