EFCC arraigns two over alleged $180,000 fraud, breach of trust in Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two men, Shamsudeen Lawal and Abubakar Abdulkadir, before a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Nyanya, Abuja, over an alleged criminal breach of trust and obtaining by false pretense involving $180,000.
The defendants were brought before Justice A.Y. Shafa on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and the diversion of funds.
According to the EFCC, the defendants, alongside another suspect who remains at large, allegedly received the sum of $180,000 from Data Group, which was purportedly meant for the purchase of equipment to service MTN Nigeria Communications Limited.
However, the prosecution told the court that the funds were instead diverted and transferred to one Ahmed Sarki Mohammed in Uganda for a completely different purpose, contrary to the terms under which the money was entrusted.
In count one, the defendants were accused of conspiring to commit a criminal breach of trust by dishonestly misapplying the funds, an offense said to contravene Section 96 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 97. Count two bordered on a similar allegation of breach of trust and unlawful diversion of funds, contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 312.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them in court. Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Mariya U. Shariff, urged the court to fix a date for the trial to commence.
Counsel to the defendants, J.U. Bolori, applied for bail on behalf of his clients, a request that was not opposed by the prosecution.
Justice Shafa subsequently granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N1 million each, with two sureties.
One of the sureties must be a businessman with a verifiable means of livelihood and must swear to an affidavit of means.
The matter was adjourned until September 29, 2026, for the commencement of the trial.