The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned the duo of Temitope Owolani (alias Patra Raphael) and Godwin Iyetor (alias Engineer) before Justice Adamu Turaki of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
The suspects are being prosecuted by the Commission for allegedly defrauding one Isiaku Ahmadu the sums of N1,500,000.00 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) purportedly for the purchase of a Toyota Hiace bus.
According to the petitioners, on 6 December, 2017, Ahmed transferred through his Fidelity bank account number 3173000418 the sums of N1.5million to Enwerem Christian’s Ecobank account number 6018268684 as a part-payment for the purchase of the bus.
After confirming receipt of the payment, the suspects neither delivered the bus to him nor refunded the money he paid to them.
One of the counts read: “that you Temitope Patience Owolani (alias Patra Raphael) Godwin Iyetor (alias Engineer) Enwerem Christian (alias Mayor) now at large and Ahmed Yakubu Mokawo now at large on or about the 6th of December 2017 at Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of One Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira only from one Isiaku Ahmed as money meant for the sale of a Toyota Hiace Bus to him, a pretext which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) and (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
In view of the plea of the defendants, prosecution counsel, Tanko Iko applied for a date for commencement of trial and for the defendants to be remanded in prison custody.
However, the two defence counsels for the first and second defendants: M.O. Saleh and D.D Danjuma told the court that they needed to file a bail application.
The bail processes could, however, not be concluded owing to the vacation session of the court. The defendants were remanded in prison custody for the matter to be reassigned to a vacation judge. No adjourned date was given by the court.
