Matilda Omonaiye/
Justice Saleh Idrissa of a Federal High Court, sitting in Sokoto has granted bail to four suspected fake Customs agents facing trial on a nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N19, 000,000.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Sokoto zonal office had on March 15 arraigned the defendants: Jabir Ladan Sani, Alhaji Sani Musa, Kabiru Musa and Aliyu Muhammad and others now at large before Justice Idrissa, on a nine-count charge bordering on Conspiracy and Obtaining Money by False Pretence.
The defendants got into trouble when they allegedly collected the sum of N19 million from one Abdulrazak Murtala on the pretext of facilitating the release of his goods seized by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and upon the payment of the money, his goods were neither released nor his money returned.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you Jabir Ladan Sani, Alh Sani Musa, Kabiru Musa and Aliyu Muhammad and others now at large sometimes within the months of July and September 2018 at Sokoto within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did conspire among yourselves to commit an unlawful act to wit: Obtaining the sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) from one Abdulrazaq Murtala by False Pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) and Prohibition under section 1 (3) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006”.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to them.
At resumed hearing on Monday 18, 2019, counsel to the defendants, Nasiru Shehu Na’ige, told the court that he had earlier filed a bail application for his clients. He said the alleged offences were bailable and urged the court to grant his prayers.
However, the prosecution counsel, Muhammad Gambo did not oppose his prayers.
Delivering his ruling on the bail application, Justice Idrissa, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N3, 000.000 (Three Million Naira only), each with two sureties in like sum.
The Judge ruled that the sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court adding that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below grade level 14 of the Federal or state civil service, while the second surety must have a landed property worth N3 million within the jurisdiction of the court.
He also stated that the two sureties must depose an affidavit of means with their recent passport photographs and those sureties must be verified by the prosecution and the court registrar.
The judge adjourned the matter to April 9 and 10, 2019 for trial and ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
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