The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned two individuals, Buhari Fannami and Ba-Kura Abdullahi on two separate one count charge of alleged provision of false information under the whistle-blower policy of the federal government.
Spokesman of the anti-corruption agency, Wilson Uwajuren, made this known in a press statement issued on Wednesday, in Abuja.
He said the duo was arraigned before Justice M. T Salihu of the federal high court Maiduguri, on Tuesday.
Both accused persons were said to have misled the EFCC into believing that large amounts of illegally acquired money were purportedly buried at the residence of one Ba’a Lawan but the information turned out to be false after the execution of a search warrant.
The charge read: “That you, Buhari Fannami on or about the 8th day of May,2017 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did make statement to Officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under the Whistle Blowing policy to the effect that large sums of money being the proceeds of crime were buried in the residence Ba’a Lawan at Pompomari Layout along Pompomari Bypass, Maiduguri which information/statement you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under sections 39 (2) (a) and 39 (2)(b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 respectively.”
The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Ba-Kura Abdullahi was also charged with similar offence and he also pleaded not guilty after the charge was read to him.
EFCC counsel, Alkassim Ja’afar, asked the presiding judge to fix a date for the trial to commence while asking that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody pending trial.
Justice Salihu adjourned the matter to June 7 and 8, 2017 for hearing and ordered the accused to be remanded in the prison custody.