The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC will on Thursday, May 7, 2015 arraign two senior officials of the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory over land scam. They are: Muhammed Yau Gital, former Chief of Staff to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Bala Mohammed and Sani Abba, Deputy Director, Mass Housing at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA.
The duo will be docked before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office.
Gital and Abba allegedly conspired and defrauded one Chief Duru Mike Ejiogu, Managing Director of Visioni and Strauss Nigeria Limited to the tune of N60m (sixty million naira) on the pretext that the said sum would be used to facilitate the change of Land Use in respect of Plot No: 523, Cadastral Zone BOO Kukwaba District from Passive Recreation to Residential.
Meanwhile the Commission on May 5, 2015 secured the conviction of Ifeanyichukwu Williams, who was being prosecuted before Justice O. O. Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court, Owerri, Imo State on a 2-count charge bordering on conspiracy, and dealing in petroleum product without appropriate license, contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Ifeanyichukwu was arrested by men of the 34 Artillery Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Owerri, on April 8, 2012 along Owerri-Onisha Road, Imo State, with a Volvo Truck with registration number: XN939FST, loaded with 42 drums of petroleum product without appropriate license. He was subsequently handed over to EFCC for prosecution.
One of the charges read: “That you Ifeanyichukwu Williams on or about the 8th day of April 2012 along Owerri-Onisha Road, Imo State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did without lawful authority use a Volvo truck with registration number XN939FST to illegally deal in petroleum product by conveying same in 42 drums and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(17) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and punishable under Section 1(17)(a)(b) of the same Act.”
He was first arraigned in 2012 and pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him.
At the resumed trial on Monday May 4, 2015, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge. Shortly before the sentencing on Tuesday, May 5, 2015, the defence counsel, M. L. Amiamum, pleaded for justice to be tempered with mercy for his client, Justice Oguntoyinbo subsequently sentenced the accused to three years imprisonment. He ordered the convict to forfeit the petroleum product to the EFCC, while the truck is released to him.
The sentence is to run concurrently from the date of his arrest.
