Court remands contractor for allegedly swindling army officer

A Grade I Area Court in Karu, Abuja, has ordered that a contractor, Fidelis Ohue be remanded in a correctional centre for allegedly swindling a Colonel of N450,000.

Ohue is charged with criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The Judge, Mr Umar Mayana, deferred bail for the defendant and adjourned the case until June 6 for mention.

Mayana ordered that the defendant be remanded in Keffi Correctional Centre, pending investigation.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Edwin Ochayi told the court that the matter was reported by Col. Omale Ochagwuba of Army headquarters, garrison Mogadishu cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja.

Ochayi told the court that sometime in July 2020 the complainant entrusted and gave the defendant a job to purchase electric armoured cable, a prepaid electric meter and PVC pipes for the armoured cable.

He claimed that after he gave the sum of N450, 000 for the items, the defendant developed a criminal mind and converted it into his own use.

He said during the police investigation, the defendant admitted to having committed the offence and was released on bail with the condition of resolving the issue with the nominal complainant.

The prosecutor said the defendant deliberately violated the bail condition and went into hiding on March 7 where the IPO sighted him at Nyanya market, Abuja and was arrested.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 314 and 323 of the Penal Code.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.