Court remands man for alleged N3.2m land fraud

Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna High Court on Thursday ordered that Ibrahim Hamza be remanded in a correctional centre, for alleged N3.2million land fraud.

Khobo gave the order after the Prosecution Counsel, Y. J. Matiyak, pleaded that Hamza be remanded, pending the completion of investigation.

The Judge adjourned the case until July 12, for hearing.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna State Command, charged Hamza with criminal breach of trust.

Earlier, the prosecution had told the court that sometime in June 2021, the defendant fraudulently induced one Saleh Jamil to deliver to him the sum of N3.2m, for two plots of land located in Abuja.

He stated that the defendant collected the money on the pretext that he was the owner of the said plots of land, which he had no authority to sell.

Matiyak said that after the payment, the defendant ran to an unknown destination and all efforts to recover the money had proved abortive.

According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes Section 293 of the Kaduna State Penal Code, 2017 and punishable under Section 294 of the same Law.

Hamza, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.