Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu has remanded one Nweke Izuchukwu Jude at the Enugu State correctional facility for allegedly impersonating officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and a N1.1 milion fraud.
Jude was arraigned on two-count charges bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretence N1.1 million. One of the counts reads: “That you, Nweke Izuchukwu Jude, sometime in April 2024, in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N1,100,000 from one Justin Chidozie Chukwukere, when you fraudulently presented yourself as an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. In view of his plea, EFCC Counsel, Ajobiewe Rotimi Enitan, prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded at the Enugu State correctional facility.
However, the defendant’s counsel, E. S. Umeojiakor, informed the court about a pending bail application before it and prayed that his client be admitted to bail on liberal terms.
His application was opposed by the prosecuting counsel, Enitan. After listening to both sides, the court granted the defendant bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in like sum.
The judge said the sureties must be resident within jurisdiction of the court, while one of the sureties must have a landed property verified by the court registrar. The matter was adjourned till October 9, for trial, while the defendant was remanded pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
