The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) Enugu Zonal Command has charged a man, Simon Udeani, and his wife, Dorcas, before Justice M.G. Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu.
One of the charges against the Udeanis read, “That you, Udeani Simon Sunday and Udeani Dorcas Amaka, between July 10, 2019 and December 19, 2019 in Enugu, Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, induced one Onugu Angela Chinyere to deliver to you the sum of N2.7 million under the pretense that you would sell to her a plot of land behind Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ala-Uguaji, along Enugu/Port Harcourt Road, which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same act.”
According to the EFCC‘s statement, the couple pleaded not guilty to the accusations, after which the prosecuting attorney, Nurudeen Ingawa, asked the court for a trial date, while the defense attorney, E.C. Nwauba, Esq., asked for their bail.
Justice Umar granted them bail in the amount of N5 million, with one surety in the same amount, and adjourned the case until February 6, 2024. In a separate case, Johnson Aniekwe was brought before Justice Cyprian Ajah of the Enugu State High Court on three counts of collecting N9,170,000 by false pretense, forgery, and impersonation.
Aniekwe pleaded not guilty to the accusations, prompting the EFCC’s lawyer Nurudeen Ingawa to request a trial date, while defense counsel A.G. Anyigo requested bail for the prisoner.