The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Paulinus Ani before the Federal High Court in Enugu on charges of land fraud amounting to N8.1 million.
Ani who was brought before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Enugu Judicial Division faces a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.
A violation under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.
The charge against Ani stems from allegations that between October 2015 and June 2018, he deceived Severus Ifeanyi Odoziobodo into paying N8,130,000 under the false promise of selling him seven plots of land.
These included three plots at the Emene Industrial/Residential Layout and four at Independence Layout Phase II in Enugu.
The EFCC maintains that Ani was fully aware that the plots had already been sold to other buyers.
The formal charge reads: “That you, Paulinus Ani, sometime between October 2015 and June 2018 at Enugu, Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, induced one Severus Ifeanyi Odoziobodo to deliver to you the sum of N8,130,000 under the pretence that you would sell him seven plots of land:
“three plots at Emene Industrial/Residential Layout and four plots at Independence Layout Phase II, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006, punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
However, Ani pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, the EFCC counsel, Nasir Umar, requested the court to set a trial date for him.
In response, the defence counsel, O. S. Imaji, moved for bail.
He cited the defendant’s availability of a reliable surety and asked for bail to be granted on liberal terms.
The EFCC, however, strongly opposed the application, arguing that land fraud cases have become rampant in Enugu.
After considering both arguments, Justice Umar granted Ani bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties of the same amount.
Umar stated that the sureties must be residents of Enugu State.
Ani was remanded to the Enugu Correctional Facility pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.
However, the case has been adjourned to January 23, 2025, for trial.
This case began when the EFCC received a petition from Severus Ifeanyi Odoziobodo on January 1, 2021.
The petitioner alleged that Ani, presenting himself as a staff member of the Ministry of Land and Urban Development, had offered him plots of land for sale.
Odoziobodo later discovered that the plots had already been sold to other buyers who had been issued Certificates of Occupancy.
Despite efforts to recover his funds, Ani failed to refund the amount.
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