EFCC arraigns man for N4.5m fraud in Borno

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Baba Aji Alhaji Gremami before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri on one-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation of N4.5 million.

Gremami, who was arraigned on Wednesday, was alleged to have fraudulently induced a businessman, Alhaji Umara Goni Ali, to partner with him in the supply of building materials to a Non-Governmental Organisation, Norwegian Refugees Council (NRC), with an agreement of sharing the profit after executing the contract.

This was disclosed via a statement issued and made available to The Star on Thursday by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren.

Uwujaren noted that the defendant, after delivering the contract and payment made by NRC, allegedly refused to disclose the payment to the complainant and diverted all the monies to his personal use.

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The count read: “That you Baba Aji Alhaji Gremami sometimes in October 2018 at Maiduguri Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did dishonestly misappropriated the gross sum of N4,500,000.00 (Four million, five hundred thousand naira) only being the value of goods supplied and received by Norwegian Refugees Council (NRC) a Non-Governmental Organisation here in Borno State belonging to Alhaji Umara Goni Ali and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State of Nigeria and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

The prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, prayed for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in a Correctional Centre.

The presiding judge, Justice Fadawu, while adjourning the matter to May 25, 2022, also ordered the remand of the defendant at Maiduguri Medium Security Custodial Centre.

The Star