The judge issued the remand order after the EFCC arraigned the ex-NEDC official on N2.2 billion fraud charges.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Zuba, Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered the remand of a former National Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) under the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Danjuma Mohammed, for allegedly defrauding a businessman of more than N2.2 billion.
The judge Keziah Ogbonnaya issued the remand order after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned him.
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Mr Mohammed was arraigned alongside Prince Achem and Aminu Alhaji, who is said to be at large.
They face 54 counts of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, and forgery. The EFCC alleged that the offences were committed between 2022 and 2024.
But the defendants present in court pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their plea, EFCC counsel Adeola Olanrewaju asked the court for a trial date and requested that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the conclusion of the case.
However, defence counsel Chukwuka Obidike informed the court that a bail application had already been filed on behalf of his clients.
Mr Olanrewaju opposed the immediate hearing of the bail application, telling the court that the prosecution had only been served the previous evening and needed time to file a counter-affidavit.
Mr Ogbonnaya agreed that the prosecution should be given time to respond.
"Taking into consideration all sundries and in the interest of justice, I will allow the prosecution to reply," the judge ruled.
He ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre pending the hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial.
The judge fixed 25 March for trial.
Details of alleged fraud
According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants allegedly obtained a cumulative sum of N2.28 billion from Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu, managing director of Diamond Leeds Limited, under the false claim that they could facilitate the award and execution of contracts under the NEDC's Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery and Stability Programme (NERSP).
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One of the charges stated that the defendants conspired between May 2022 and February 2024 to obtain the funds from Mr Ifekudu under false pretence--an offence said to contravene Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, 2006.
Another count alleges that between January and December 2023, the defendants fraudulently received N573.5 million through a Wema Bank account operated by Mr Achem, claiming they had the capacity to award contracts to the victim's companies--claims the EFCC says were knowingly false.
