EFCC Arraigns Three for N44.5m Fraud in Sokoto

The Sokoto Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Tuesday, 9th August, 2022 arraigned the duo of Yahaya Abdulrahman and Mohammad Iliyasu alongside their company, Azzumee Multipurpose Cooperative Society, before Justice Mohammed Mohammed of the Sokoto State High Court on a three count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, issuance of a dud cheque in the sum of N4, 859,000.00 and obtaining by false pretence.

The duo are alleged to have fraudulently induced the petitioner to supply 1,651 bags of rice to their company at the cost of N27, 000.00 per bag totalling N44,577,000.00 (Forty-four Million Five Hundred and Seventy-seven Thousand Naira only) and jointly issued cheques of N14, 359,000.00 (Fourteen Million Three Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand Naira) in the name of the petitioner, which one returned unpaid due to insufficient funds standing to the credit of the drawer.

Count one reads: “That you, Yahaya Abdulrahman while being the Chairman of Azzumee Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Mohammad Iliyasu while being a Director and Vice Chairman of Azzumee Multipurpose Cooperative Society and Azzumee Multipurpose Cooperative Society sometime in November, 2020 at Sokoto within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Justice, Sokoto State did conspire among yourselves to commit an illegal act to wit: Criminal Breach of Trust and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 59(a) of the Sokoto State Penal Code Law, 2019 and punishable under Section 60(2) of the same Law.”

Count two reads: “That you, Yahaya Abdulrahman while being the Chairman of Azzumee Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Mohammad Iliyasu while being a Director and Vice Chairman of Azzumee Multipurpose Cooperative Society and Azzumee Multipurpose Cooperative Society sometime in March, 2021 at Sokoto within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Justice, Sokoto State with knowledge that you have insufficient funds in your account issued to one IMUDAN Ventures a Stanbic IBTC Bank cheque number 00000061 dated 5th March, 2021 for the sum of N4,859,000.00 (Four Million Eight Hundred and Fifty-nine Thousand Naira) which said cheque when presented was dishonored due to insufficient funds in your account and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Dishonored Cheques ( Offences) Act, CAP D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 1(1) (b) of the same Act”.

They all pleaded not guilty to the three count charge. Prosecution counsel S.H Sa’ad then prayed the Court to allow the hearing to commence as two witnesses were in Court, ready to testify. But defence counsel, Y.Y Bazawa urged the court to grant his clients bail.

Justice Mohammed granted the defendants bail in the sum of N5, 000, 000, 00 and one surety each in like sum. The surety must be a resident of the Sokoto metropolis and own landed property in the city. The surety must also deposit a passport photograph with the registrar of the Court

The Judge adjourned the matter till 26th September, 2022 for trial