The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Christopher Nduka before Justice Farook Lawal Adamu of the Federal High Court sitting Kano on three-count charges bordering on obtaining by false pretense and issuance of dud cheque.
The anti-graft commission disclosed this in a Friday statement.
The EFCC said Nduka, a serial fraudster, who had been convicted twice for similar offences, bagged a fresh conviction when a petitioner alleged that he collected a sum of N2.85 million under the guise of supplying pharmaceutical products to him but diverted the money for his personal use.
To further inflame his troubles, he issued two separate cheques that bounced due to lack of funds in his account.
One of the count charges reads, “That you, Christopher Nduka sometime in September,2022 at Kano, Kano State, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable court, did obtain the sum of Two Million Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only (N 2,850,000)belonging to one Tochukwu Obinna Chioke being the payment for the procurement of pharmaceutical products which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud And other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Count two reads: “That you, Christopher Nduka sometime in September, 2022 at Kano, Kano State within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did issued a Cheque of One Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N 1,800,000,00) issued in favour of one Chioke Tochukwu Obinna and when presented for payment, returned unpaid for insufficient funds and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 1(1)(b) of Dishonored Cheques (Offences) Act.
The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
Counsel for the prosecution, Idris I. Haruna prayed the court for a trial date in view of the plea of the defendant.
The defence counsel, P.A Edamaku prayed the court to admit his client to bail pending the proceeding of the matter.
Justice Lawal consequently granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1 million and one surety who must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
He adjourned the matter till March 27, 2024, for commencement of trial.