Crime
Witnesses narrate how UniJos NASU members lost N178m to union executives in land fraud
Witnesses in the trial of Kassam Kopte and Yakubu Zwalnan, former Chairman and Secretary, University of Jos’ Non Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institution, on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 narrated before Justice S.P Gang of the Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos, how the duo allegedly lured union members into fraudulent land deals and defrauded them of their life savings in the process.
Kopte and Zwalnan are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on three-count charges bordering on criminal breach of trust and conspiracy to defraud union members to the tune of N178,583,560.36 (One Hundred and Seventy-eight Million, Five Hundred and Eighty-three Thousand, Five Hundred Sixty Naira, Thirty-six Kobo). The alleged offence contravenes Section 97 of the Penal Code Laws of Plateau State, and punishable under the same Law.
At Wednesday’s court session, Second Prosecution Witness , PW2, Dabup Luka Jacob, a lecturer in the University of Jos, who was led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Steve Odiase, told the court that he lost N448,200 (Four Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand, Two Hundred Naira) to the two defendants, being the total cost of two plots of land he chose to buy.
“My Lord, in 2012, they advertised plots of land to the university community, I subscribed for four plots of land. Two were shown to me, while the remaining two I have no idea about. And the two I was shown have no title documents for me to claim them as mine. No evidence to call them mine. I paid for the two plots through direct lodgments into the NASU plots of land account they gave us, while the remaining two are to be deducted from my salary. I have a photocopy of the evidence of payments because the originals are with the union.”
In his own testimony, Third Prosecution Witness, PW3, James Wazhi Jangfa, narrated that he lost a total of N896,400 (Eight Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand, Four Hundred Naira) to the two defendants, being the total cost of five plots of land back them up,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the first Prosecution Witness, PW1,Bitrus Ayuba, had told the court that he lost N448,000.00 (Four Hundred and Forty-eight Thousand Naira) to the two defendants in the fraudulent land purchase.
“As at that time my Lord, in one of our meetings, they advertised plots of land to us, stating that all interested persons should indicate his or her interest and that he or she would get it. We asked them the price of a plot of land and they told us it was N170,000 (One Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira).
“I then showed interest and paid the sum of N340,000 (Three Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) for two plots of land. After a while, they told us again to pay the sum of N54,000 (Fifty-four Thousand Naira) for land title documents and I paid for the two plots I paid for earlier,” he stated.
All the evidence of payments made by the witnesses were admitted exhibits in court by Justice Gang after scaling stiff objections from D.G Dashe and I.P Gyang, counsels to the first and second defendants, respectively.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, opened its case at the Federal High Court Abuja in the money-laundering suit brought against the immediate past Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano.
The anti-graft agency presented a total of two witnesses in today’s trial.
A bank manager, Mr Tochukwu Nnadi, who entered the witness box as the first prosecution witness, PW-1, told the court that sometime in April 2022, the EFCC invited him and told him it was in respect of an ongoing investigation.
He was the manager of the branch and handled most of the financial activities of the past state government.
Nnadi told the court that he was a bank manager at Awka, the capital of Anambra State, where he managed customers’ accounts and interfaced with various security and anti-graft agencies in terms of inquiry on a customer’s account.
He also disclosed that he knows the defendant, the immediate past governor of Anambra State.
He explained that the state government maintains various accounts with the bank he works for, and one such account was for security votes.
He claimed the security vote account was just like every other account that they managed for the state government, and there was really nothing special about it.
He said, “The account was mostly funded by the office of the Accountant General of the state and bulk of the funds came from Internally Generated Revenue, of the state”.
He added that payments into the account were made on a weekly basis, and all transactions out of the account were always based on the advice of the account operators.
“The payments we made out of the account were to various entities and corporate organisations,” he said.
He claimed documents containing the names of all the beneficiaries had already been submitted to the EFCC.
However, he refused to mention the names of the beneficiaries in the open court, when he was asked to by prosecution counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, SAN.
He said it would amount to a breach of his oath of secrecy.
He said the accounts were funded every week and cash withdrawals, Manager’s cheques, transfers and drafts were instruments that were used to remove the funds, based on instructions from the operators of the accounts.
He added that “Some of the documents he submitted to the EFCC included the certified true copy of the statements of account, cover letter for the statements of account, packages used to open the account, as well as certificates of identification for each of the accounts.
The court admitted in evidence 794 pages of documents from the bank, which was tendered as Exhibit PW-1 (A1- A 794).
Also, another set of documents dated June 1, 2023, showing the debits that were made from the accounts, were also admitted in evidence.
After Nnadi, EFCC presented another witness, PW-2, an Onitsha-based businesswoman, Mrs Chinwe Egbunam, who informed the court that she is a trader specialising in Turkish wear.
She told the court that on May 20, she received a call that she was needed at the EFCC office over some money that had passed through the account of her company, C.I. Party Ventures Nigeria Limited.
She explained that when she arrived at the anti-graft agency office, she told them that she didn’t know anything about the money.
The Nigerian Army has raided illegal refineries and arrested thirteen suspects in Obuaku Community, Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State.
This comes barely four days after six suspected oil bunkerers were arrested and 14 boats, some laden with crude oil, were recovered when the Army also raided the neighbouring Isimini Waterside.
Leading both operations, the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 82 Division Enugu, Major Gen. Hassan Dada, vowed never to allow oil bunkerers and economic saboteurs any breeding ground in any state within the Division.
Speaking to newsmen right inside the creek on Monday evening, the GOC said about 1.5 million barrels of crude oil had been siphoned by oil bunkerers, stressing that additional two boats were recovered from them during the latest raid.
The GOC who lamented both the economic and environmental impacts of the activities of oil bunkerers said the Army under Operation UDOKA, would not rest on its oars until all bunkerers and other economic saboteurs were flushed out of the area.
“Illegal refineries cannot be allowed so that our economy will improve”, he said.
According to him, the suspects would be handed over to the appropriate agencies for prosecution, adding that those found culpable would be made to bear the consequences of their actions.
Meanwhile, one of the female suspects, told newsmen during an interview, that she was selling polythene to people at the camp, and came to recover her debt when she was arrested.
Meanwhile, the suspect who was sobbing profusely, denied any involvement in the illegality.
Troops from the 3 Division/Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) have successfully arrested notorious gunrunners, bandits, and arms couriers, and recovered arms and ammunition in a series of intelligence-driven operations across Plateau and Kaduna States over the past week.
On 21 June 2024, troops launched an operation to clear armed militias and criminals from a suspected bandit hideout in Pandam Forest, Qua’anpan Local Government Area of Plateau State. During this operation, they recovered three AK-47 rifles, five AK-47 magazines, and 75 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition.
In a separate joint operation with a sister security agency on the same day, troops tracked and arrested a notorious gunrunner on the Riyom-Abuja Road in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The suspect was intercepted while attempting to supply 35 AK-47 magazines to another gunrunner, who had been arrested the previous day in Kano State.
Information obtained from the arrested suspect led to the immediate capture of a major arms supplier in Manchok, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State. This supplier was in the process of receiving the 35 AK-47 magazines for delivery to bandits in Zamfara State.
A subsequent search of the supplier’s home resulted in the recovery of the 35 AK-47 magazines, 60 rounds of 7.62 mm (Special) ammunition, three Bajaj motorcycles, three mobile phones, and items suspected to be local charms.
The general public is commended for providing credible information that led to these significant recoveries. The populace is encouraged to continue cooperating with security agencies to ensure a crime-free environment.
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