Court remands 2 over alleged N10m land fraud

A Kaduna State High Court on Thursday ordered the remand of two men, Frank David, 40 and Polycarp Timothy, 42, in a Correctional Centre for an alleged N10 million land fraud.

The defendants both reside in Barnawa village within the Kaduna metropolis.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna Zonal Command, arraigned the defendants on three-count charges of conspiracy, forgery and obtaining N10 million by false pretence.

EFCC’s prosecutor, Mr P. C. Onyeneho, told the court that the defendants’ arrest followed Rachel Hassan and two other complainants’ petition over the defendants’ alleged involvement in a N3.3 million land fraud.

Onyeneho alleged that the surveyors hired by the complainants discovered that the defendants had defrauded them of their money.

He told the court that investigations revealed that the defendants allegedly tricked the complainants into purchasing the plots of land with forged Power of Attorney.

The anti-graft agency said the offence was 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.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendants in the correctional centre because of the gravity of the offences.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Their counsel, B. O. Nathan’s oral application for bail was denied by the court.

The Presiding Judge, Zainab Aliyu, ordered the remand of the defendants at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until Oct. 12, for hearing of the of their bail application.