Cleric Lands In Court Over Alleged N10m Fraud

A cleric, Mr. Chukwu Sunday Christopher, who is also the Chairman of the Ebonyi State Mining Association, was Monday arraigned before a Federal High Court, Lagos, on a two count-charge of obtaining the sum of N10 million under false pretence.While arraigning the accused, police counsel from State Criminal  Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti, Yaba, Lagos Mr Anota Oluseye told the trial judge, Justice Muslim Hassan that the police has a two counts charge before the court and pleaded with the court that the charge be read.

In the charge, the accused was alleged to have sometimes in July 2017 within the jurisdiction of the court did by false pretence and with intent to defraud, induced Southern Streams Universal Service Limited through medium of a contract and obtained the sum of ten million naira (N10,000,000.00) and thereby committed an Offence Contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) & (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006.

Consequently, upon the reading of the charge and the defendant’s not guilty plea, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Oluseye asked the court to remand the accused in prison custody pending the trial and determination of charge.

However, counsel to the defendant, Mr. Akpabang Utibe told the court that he has a bail application filed on behalf of the defendant and same has been served on the prosecution.

He therefore urged the court to allow him to move the application.

The prosecutor in its submission admitted service of the bail application and told the court that he is not opposing to the motion for bail. Consequently, the presiding judge asked the  the defence counsel to move the bail application.

Upon moving the bail application, the defendant’s counsel asked the court to grant his client bail on liberal term.

In his ruling on the bail application, Justice Muslim Hassan admitted bail to the defendant in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum who must be a civil servant not below grade level 15 in the Federal or Lagos state employment or the alternative, a landed property owner within the jurisdiction of the court. With title documents to be submitted to the court while in case of a civil servant, a letter from the head of department of the surety is required.

Both defendant and surety, according to Justice Hassan, are to submit copies of their photographs to to the court while defendant is to remain in prison custody pending perfection of his bail conditions.

Count one of the charge reads: “that you Chukwu Sunday Christopher sometimes in the Month of July 2017 in Lagos within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High court, did by false pretence and with intent to defraud induced Southern Streams Universal Service Limited through medium of a contract and obtained the sum of ten million naira (N10,000,000.00) and thereby committed an Offence Contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) & (c) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006”.