The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, March 29, 2018 re-arraigned one Usman Baba Yusuf (a.k.a Usman Dakingari) and Balarabe Abdullahi for cloning the phone number of Abdulmumini Bako, a former Special Assistant to the former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko Inde.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice D. Z. Senchi of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on a 4-count charge of impersonation and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N2million.
The re-arraignment followed the arrest of the 1st defendant (Yusuf), who had been on the run after the EFCC granted him administrative bail in 2016.
Yusuf was however, arrested on March 24, 2018 in Kaduna after he had been declared wanted by the EFCC, on the order of the court.
When the charge was read to them, Yusuf pleaded guilty and entered a plea bargain deal, while the second defendant (Abdullahi) pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Count two of the charge reads
“That you, Usman Baba Yusuf (a.k.a Usman Dakingari) and Balarabe Abdullahi sometimes in June 2015 in Abuja within the judicial division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory held out yourselves as Assistant Comptroller of Nigerian Customs Service and in that assumed position directed one Zakari Jibrin (a Comptroller of Nigerian Customs Service) to pay the sum of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) to account number 0049663040 in the name of Balarabe Abdullahi domiciled in Access bank Nigeria plc and thereby committed the offence of cheating by personation contrary to Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 532 (Abuja).”
The court admitted Abdullahi to bail in the sum of N1million and one surety in like sum, and ordered the remand of Yusuf in the EFCC custody pending sentencing.
