Akpan, who was arraigned on charges of 17 counts before Justice V. S. Gaba, was accused of using a private real estate company, Danemy Nigeria Limited to defraud land subscribers.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged a Deputy Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Edike Mboutidem Akpan, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Kwali, Abuja over alleged N26.7 million fraud.
Akpan, who was arraigned on charges of 17 counts before Justice V. S. Gaba, was accused of using a private real estate company, Danemy Nigeria Limited to defraud land subscribers.
The ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, in a statement made available to journalists stated that the Deputy NSCDC Commandant convinced many subscribers to pay various sums of money for plots of land in Karshi, Nasarawa State and Sabon Lugbe Extension, Airport Road, Abuja, claiming to be in partnership with NSCDC.
Ogugua, however, added that no land was ever allocated to the subscribers.
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Presenting the case before the court, the ICPC told the court that Akpan committed the offence between 2010 and 2015.
According to the anti-graft agency, Akpan’s offence violated Sections 19 and 26 (1) (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and was punishable under Section 19 of the Act.
The agency said, “In one of the charges, Mr. Akpan was alleged to have conferred an undue advantage on himself when he allegedly received N13,350,000 in 2011 from a subscriber, Mr. Igwe Onus Nwankwo, through his company Danemy Nig Ltd, as payments for 10 plots of land at Airport Road.
“He was at various times alleged to have received N1,305,000 from Doctors Robert Okoro and Akuneme Marcel Ikwuoma, each, for the allocation of plots of land at the Defenders Family Estate Homes Scheme, Airport Road.
“The NSCDC officer was also accused of receiving N2,610,000 from Mrs. Chidinma Obasi for two plots of land and N1,205,000 from Mr. Etuechere Martins, for a plot.”
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Explaining further, the ICPC spokesperson said that Akpan pleaded not guilty to the charges and his counsel prayed the court to grant him bail on liberal terms, to which the counsel for the ICPC, John-Paul Okwor, did not object.
However, the ICPC counsel prayed the court to admit the accused to bail on reasonable terms that would ensure his attendance in court for trial.
In his ruling, Justice Gaba granted the accused person bail to the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum.
The judge added that at least one of the sureties must show proof of residing in his or her own house.