EFCC rearraigns woman for N12.7m fraud in Maiduguri

Etim Effiong

The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, September 10, 2020 re-arraigned one Dookenger Odey Takon before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on four counts amended charge bordering on cheating, forgery, issuance of dud cheque and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N12, 759,169.00 (Twelve Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Nine Naira).

Dookenger was re-arraigned alongside her company, X-traordinaire Designs Ltd.

She was first arraigned on 28th October 2020 on a four-count charge, which she pleaded ‘not guilty’.

At the resumed hearing today, prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed informed the court of the amended charge and asked that the defendant be invited to take her plea.

Justice Fadawu granted the prayer of the prosecution, and she pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Count one of the amended charge reads: “That you, Dookenger Odey Takon being a Managing Director of X-traordinaire Designs Ltd and Alter ego of X-Traordinaire Designs Ltd and X-traordinaire Ltd, a company registered in Nigeria sometime in September, 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N 10, 500, 000.00 (Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) only from one Abatcha Anas under the false pretence that the sum represent payment for the execution of a purported contract of constructing a Mopol container and  store awarded to X-traordinaire Designs Ltd by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), International Organization for Migration (I.O.M) which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under 1(3) of the same Act.”

Count two reads: “That you, Dookenger Odey Takon being a Managing Director and alter ego of X-traordinaire Designs Ltd and X-traordinaire Ltd, a company registered in Nigeria, sometime in September, 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly induced one Abatcha Anas to deliver to you Home Appliances (Electronics) worth N2,259,169.00 (Two Million Two Hundred and Fifty Nine Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Nine Naira) only by issuing to him a Zenith Bank Plc cheque of X-traordinaire Designs Ltd dated 25th September, 2018 covering the value for the said electronics, which when presented was not honoured and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(a) and Punishable under 322 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State.”

Prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, informed the court that the second prosecution witness was in court and ready to continue with the trial. However, defence counsel, I. H Ngada pleaded with the court to adjourn the matter to enable him to study the amended

Justice Fadawu adjourned the case till October 6, 2021 for continuation of trial and ordered the remand of the defendant in the correctional facility.