Three arraigned, remanded for impersonating Aisha Buhari

Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday remanded in prison custody alleged impostor of President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, Aisha Buhari. 

The alleged impostor, Uche Julius, also known as Musa Mohammed, was remanded following his arraignment by the police.  

Julius, 48, was arraigned alongside two others, Kenneth Chikwado Ezeonu, a.k.a. Abdul Karim and Agu Ifeanyi George, also known as Dr. Lina Norman, on 16-count charge bordering on cyber-crime by the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Federal Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department (FCIID) of the Nigeria Police, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Of the 16-count charge preferred against the trio, Count 1-10 was for Julius on his alleged activities of using the First Lady’s name (Aisha Buhari) to defraud his victims.

In the charge, Julius, who resides at 10, Hassan Street, Aguda Surulere, Lagos and others at large, on August 8, 2018, with alleged intent to defraud, sent forged electronic message to one Gmenezes, with the subject, Attention: Geraldo Francisco Menezes, purporting same to have been sent by Aisha Buhari in respect of immediate payment of notification of $20,500,000 equivalent of N7,440,000,000. 

The prosecutor, Boniface Asogwa, told the court that the offences committed by the three defendants are punishable under Sections 14 (3) of the Cyber-crime (Prohibition Prevention ETC) Act 2015. The defendants had no legal representation in court but the court proceeded to take their plea and they pleaded not guilty.

After the plea of the defendants were taken, the prosecutor, Asogwa, asked the court for a trial date, and also pleaded with the judge to remand them in prison custody pending their trial.

In a short ruling, the judge ordered that the defendants be remanded and adjourned the case to January 18, 2019.  

Meanwhile, lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the police to investigate the case of conspiracy and threat to the life of an investigative journalist, Mr. Babatunde Bamigboye.

Some members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ondo State had few weeks ago beaten Bamigboye alongside two of his colleagues and threatened to kill them.

Bamigboye, popularly known as Omo Edema, had earlier petitioned the state police command before the case was taken over by his new lawyers, Falana and Falana’s Chambers.

The radio presenter had gone to the motor park to investigate a matter after which NURTW members, allegedly acting on the orders of Olusola Falade, Adisa and Basiru at the Ajapada Unit of the union in Akure attacked them, causing them serious bodily harm.

Falana said the life of his client and colleagues are being threatened after filing his first petition urging the police to act fast on the matter. The Lagos lawyer maintained that any attempt to sweep the case under the carpet would be resisted.