The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Gombe Zonal Office, on Wednesday, January 17, 2017 arraigned the duo of Yusuf Usman and Sani Ahmed before Justice M. J. Umar of the Federal High Court, Gombe, on a 10-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, contract scam and obtaining by false pretence.
Usman and Ahmed were arrested by DSS Gombe Command sometimes in January, 2016 and transferred to EFCC Gombe Zonal office for further investigation.
Their arrest followed a petition by one Abdullahi Nabunkari, Managing Director, Jamali Trading & Construction Company Nigeria Limited, Sokoto, alleging that the accused persons, with intent to defraud, conspired to invite him to Gombe State using the office of the state deputy governor that there was a contract to be given to him.
In other to perfect the scam, the duo took the complainant to Bajoga Motel in Funakaye Local Government Area of Gombe State for inspection of the entire building.
After the inspection, the complainant was invited to the office of the deputy governor by the accused persons where someone posed as a director in the office and handed over to him a fake contract award letter purportedly on behalf of the State deputy governor.
The defendants in an attempt to coat the contract as genuine requested to sign the contract agreement and thereafter made the complainant to pay a sum of $44,700 as commitment and processing fee before the execution of the contract.
The process was later discovered to be a scam.
Justice Umar adjourned the case to January 30 for trial and ordered the accused persons to be remanded in prison custody.
