Two remanded over N3m fraud, forged employment letters

Two persons, Luka Samuel, 30 and Emmanuel Owobi, 33, have been remanded in Federal Prisons, Konton-Karfe, Lokoja by a Chief Magistrate Court for defrauding nine persons of N3 million with forged employment letters.

They were said to have exploited the unemployment situation to dupe nine job seekers of N3 million and issued them with forged National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) appointment letters between 2016 and 2017.

The Prosecuting counsel, E.S. Onu in his submission, told the court that the accused, in the company of other accomplices including one Grace Owobi, now at large, fraudulently collected money over a period of time totaling over N3 million from the nine job seekers.

Onu gave the names of the victims as Musa Nasiru, Isah Rabiu, Musah Abdulmalik, Zekeri Aishetu, Samuel Atabo, Yahaya Paul Idakwo, Zekeri Husain, Yahaya Husain and Ladi Nicholas Amedu. They were charged with criminal conspiracy, forgery, wrongful gain and fraud contrary to and punishable under section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. The offences according to the prosecuting counsel also run contrary to sections 13, 97, 364 and 175 of the Penal Code Law.

Onu asked for Custodian Order for the accused to be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe pending the resumption of the Federal High Court, Lokoja that had the jurisdiction to try the case in the first place.