EFCC arraigns man for alleged N14.4m fraud in Kaduna

The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, arraigned one Abdulmalik Jimoh Itopa Courage before Justice A.Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna on a one-count charge of criminal breach of trust involving N14.4 million.

The charge read: “That you, Abdulmalik Jimoh Itopa Courage (a sole proprietor of Cropshares Africa), sometime in November 2021 in Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being entrusted with the sum of N14,400,000.00(Fourteen Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira only) by Dasolag Enterprises as payment for the supply of 900 bags of maize, dishonestly converted to your own use in violation of contract which you made to the said sum and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 296 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 297 of the same Law.”

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge when it was read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel, M. Lawal to urge the court to fix a date for commencement of trial and for the defendant to be remanded in prison custody while the defence counsel, B.A. Damshaka urged the court to grant him bail.

Justice Isiaka, afterwards granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) with two sureties in like sum, who must be resident in Kaduna and own landed properties with CofO, verified by Kaduna Geographic Information System, KADGIS.

He adjourned the case till July 23, 2024, for a hearing and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the correctional centre pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.

Courage was arrested following a petition in which the petitioner alleged that sometime in November 2021, he paid the defendant the sum of N14,400,000.00 (Fourteen Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) for the supply of three trucks of maize, translating to 900 bags which he failed to deliver after so many promises.

The petitioner further alleged that the defendant after agreeing to refund the said sum issued three cheques to him, which were all dishonoured by the banks as dud cheques.