Court Remands Mohammed, Ex-NEDC Project Coordinator, Abuja Socialite Over ‘N2.28bn Fraud’













Court Remands Mohammed, Ex-NEDC Project Coordinator, Abuja Socialite Over ‘N2.28bn Fraud’
 
By Editor 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Danjuma Mohammed, a former project coordinator with North East Development Commission (NEDC), and Prince Chibuike Echem, an Abuja socialite, over alleged N2.28 billion contract fraud.

Mohammed and Echem were arraigned on Tuesday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court alongside one Aminu Alhaji, who is currently at large, on a 54-count amended charge.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Mohammed previously served as the national coordinator of multi-sectoral crisis recovery project (MCRP) at the NEDC.



The EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired to defraud Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu, the managing director of Diamond Leeds Limited.

“That you Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed being the National Coordinator of Multi- Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project, (MCRP) North East Development Commission, Prince Chibuike Echem and Aminu Alhaji (still at large) between May, 2022 and February, 2024 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory conspired amongst yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit; obtaining by false pretenses the cumulative sum of Two Billion, Two Hundred and Eighty Million from one Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu, the managing director of Diamond Leeds Limited and Diamond Leeds Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act,” part of the charge sheet reads.


“That you Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed being the National Coordinator of Multi- Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP), North East Development Commission, Prince Chibuike Echem and Aminu Alhaji (still at large) sometime between 1st January 2023 and 31st December 2023 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did with intent to defraud, obtain the aggregate sum of N573,500,000 (Five Hundred and Seventy Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu of Diamond Leeds Limited through Wema Bank account of Prince Chibuike Echem under the false pretense that you have the capacity to award contracts to Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu’s companies from the Multi- Sectoral Crisis Recovery and Stability Program (NERSP) under the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and execute said contracts which pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.”



After the defendants took their plea, Adeola Olarenwaju, EFCC counsel, asked the court for a trial date to enable the prosecution to prove its case and the remand of the defendant at Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of the matter.

More so, Chukwuka Obidike, counsel to the defendants, informed the court that a bail application had been filed, while the EFCC lawyer said he would file a counter-affidavit opposing the request.

“My lord, it is true that the defence served us with their motion for bail which is not ripe for hearing,” Olarenwaju said.

“The motion for bail was only served to us yesterday at about 4:30pm which I was only opportune to see this morning, and we have reasons to object to this application.”

In his ruling, K. N. Ogbonnaya, the trial judge, ruled that he will allow EFCC to respond to the bail application.

Ogbonnaya ordered the remand of the defendants at the Suleja correctional Centre, while the case was adjourned to March 25.

 

 

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