The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 arraigned one Barrister Mike
Ikegbunam before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting
in Independence Layout, Enugu State on a seven-count charge bordering on money
laundering and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N91,000,000.00
(Ninety-One Million Naira).
One of the counts reads: “That you, Mike Ikegbunam on 16th
August, 2022 in Umuagu Ozu Village, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of
the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, induced the Senior
Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and
Associated Institutions of Nigeria to deliver to you, the sum of N25,000,000.00
(Twenty-Five Million naira) under the pretence that you are capable of
acquiring some portions of land for their members at Umuagu Ndiukwuanu Town in
Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State which pretence you knew to
be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of
Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable
under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
He pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to
him."
In view of his plea, Counsel to the EFCC, Nuradeen
Shehu Ingawa prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be
remanded at the Correctional Centre. The defence counsel, A. G. Anyigo prayed
the court to admit his client to bail adding that “the defendant is a very
responsible personality in the society”.
Responding, Ingawa vehemently opposed the bail application
based on the gravity of the offence and urged the court to dismiss the bail
application.
In his ruling, Justice Umar granted the defendant bail on
self recognizance being a legal practitioner on the following conditions:
That the defendant must deposit his Call to Bar Certificate
with the court and make available one surety, who must be his cousin.
The defendant was remanded at the EFCC custody pending the
fulfilment of the bail conditions.
The judge adjourned the matter to March 21, 2024 for
trial.
Ikegbunam was arrested on July 12, 2023 owing to the claims
of the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research
Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI), Nnamdi Azikiwe University
Teaching Hospital Nnewi Branch, alleging that its members paid N91million
to him for the purchase of 130 (One Hundred and Thirty) plots of land at
Umuagu, Ozu Ndiukwuanu Town, in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra
State.
Investigations showed that the defendant, who has refunded N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) to the Association, used N16,500,000 (Sixteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), suspected to be part of the money to acquire three plots of land for himself at Dubai Estate, Phase 2 in Awka, Anambra State.
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