Tina Amanda
One Kingsley Odum has been arraigned in a federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, for eighteen million naira advance Fee Fraud.
The charge reads:”That you Kingsley Odum on or about December, 2016 at Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court by way of false pretence and with the intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N17,550,000.00 (Seventeen Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) through the named account of Kingsley Odum with account number 1017521391 domiciled in United Bank for Africa from one Mrs. Njideka Edith Ikeobi-Nwafor in Port Harcourt, purporting the said sum to be full payment of a parcel of land, situated at Rumuchiolu, town in Rivers State, knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”.
The Defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecuting counsel N. A. Dodo prayed the Court for a short adjournment for commencement of trial, while E.C Obasy counsel to the Defendant, informed the court of a pending application for the bail of the defendant which was not opposed by prosecution.
Justice Isaq Mohammed Sani granted the Defendant bail in the sum of Five Million Naira, one surety in like sum and the surety must show proof of ownership of land property in Port Harcourt and a deposit of two recent passport or photographs.
Justice Mohammed remanded the Defendant in prosecution’s custody pending the perfection of his bail terms, and adjourned the case to September 2, 2020 for trial.
According to our correspondent, Odum’s trouble started when the EFCC received a petition from a complainant alleging that the defendant sometime in 2016 sold a parcel of land situated at Rumuchiolu in Eneka town, Obi/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, to her.
Investigation showed that the victim paid the Defendant a total sum of Eighteen Million, Sixty Thousand Naira.
Afterwards, she sent workers to commence work on the land only to be told that the land in question does not belong to the Defendant.
All efforts made to retrieve her money proved abortive.
