The founder of Young Alhaji Foundation, Usman Abubakar, has been charged to court alongside his foundation, over an alleged N950 million fraud.
It was gathered that they were dragged before a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday.
The defendants face a five-count charge allegedly bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing of N950 million under the false pretence that he had the dollar equivalent of the said sum for exchange.
Abubakar, the Foundation and Dr. Abu Omer Fawzi (at large), sometime in September 2022, conspired to obtain N950,000,000 from Ano Farms Limited, the EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, told the court.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that Abubakar and Young Alhaji Foundation on September 20, 2022, attempted to dishonestly convert the sum of N180m, property of Ano Farms Limited to the use of one Abdullahi Mohammed.
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Buhari told the court that the offences contravened Section 8(a) 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, 411, 280, 287 (9)(c) 406(2), 280(1)(b) and 287 (9)(c) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.
The prosecutor prayed the court for a trial date to enable the prosecution call its witnesses and tender relevant documents.
The prosecutor said, “We also pray the court to remand the defendant at the Nigerian Correctional Facility pending the trial date.”
Counsel for the defendants, Olatubosun Olanipekun, SAN, however, informed the court that the defence “only got to know of the date for arraignment yesterday (Tuesday).”
He, however, pleaded with the court to remand the defendant at the EFCC custody pending the hearing of the defendant’s bail application.
An attempt to make an oral application for bail was dismissed by the court as the trial judge held that, “this court is a court of records.”
The bail application was thereafter served on the prosecution in open court.
Justice Dada adjourned till March 1, 2023 to hear the bail application and ordered that the defendant remain with the commission.