N19million scam: Court grants 4 fake customs agents bail

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

A Federal High Court sitting in Sokoto, has granted bail to four suspected fake customs agents facing trial on a nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining N19, 000,000 through false pretenses.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sokoto zonal office had on March15, 2019, arraigned the defendants, Jabir Ladan Sani, Alhaji Sani Musa, Kabiru Musa and Aliyu Muhammad and others now at large before Justice Saleh Idrissa, on the nine-count charge.

The defendants got into trouble when they allegedly collected N19 million from one Abdulrazak Murtala under the pretext of facilitating the release of his goods seized by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and upon the payment of the money by Abdulrazak, his goods were neither released nor his money returned.

According to the prosecution, the defendants conspired among themselves to commit the unlawful act, contrary to Section 8 (a) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to them.

At the resumed hearing, counsel to the defendants, Nasiru Shehu Na’ige, told the court that he had earlier filed a bail application on behalf of his clients since the alleged offences were bailable and urged the court to grant his prayers.

However, the prosecution counsel, Muhammad Gambo did not oppose his prayers.

Delivering his ruling on the bail application, Justice Idrissa, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N3, 000.000 each with two sureties in like sum.

The judge ruled that the sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court, adding that one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below grade level 14 at the federal or state civil service, while the second surety must have a landed property worth N3 million within the jurisdiction of the court.

He also stated that the two sureties must depose to an affidavit of means with their recent passport photographs and those sureties must be verified by the prosecution and the court registrar.

The judge adjourned the matter to April 9 and 10 for trial and ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.