The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC on Tuesday said it has arraigned an information and communication technology consultant, Umar Abdullahi, over allegations of fraud and money laundering worth N131.8 million and $200,000
The arraignment took place on Monday, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja.
Abdullahi faces four counts connected to his alleged financial malfeasance, including collecting money by false pretence, advance fee fraud, and money laundering, which occurred between June and August 2024.
“That you, Umar Abdullahi, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, sometime between July 2024 and August 2024, in Abuja, did accept and transact cash payment of $200,000 (two hundred thousand dollars) for allotment of shares in Multi Access Controls Limited, in excess of the Ten Million Naira threshold, without transacting through a financial institution,” states one of the charges.
“That sometime in June 2024, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, you, Umar Abdullahi, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N104,980,000.00 (one hundred and four million, nine hundred and eighty thousand Naira) into Account Number: 2266267081, domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, from Aura Integrated Energy Resources Limited under the false pretense that the money was for procurement of telecommunication equipment and logistics for Nigerian Communications Commission staff, a pretense you knew to be false.”
The offenses violate Section 1 (1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act and Section 2 (1) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, according to the EFCC.
He entered a “not guilty” plea to every accusation.
The case is based on a petition that Alhaji Shehu Badamosi submitted to the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
According to Badamosi, Abdullahi came up to him and said he had a contract with the NCC and needed N131.8 million and $200,000 to carry it out. Once the money has been received,
According to reports, Abdullahi stopped communicating, which made Badamosi’s attempts to get the money back ineffective.
Citing Abdullahi’s prior violation of an administrative bail granted by the EFCC, prosecution attorney Cosmas Ugwu asked that the defendant be placed under remand in a correctional facility pending trial.
However, Agbonlahor, the defense attorney, begged the court to remand the defendant to the custody of the EFCC.
After hearing arguments from both attorneys, Justice Nwite remanded Abdullahi to the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja and postponed the trial to September 8, 2025.
