EFCC arraigns medical supplier for N2.9m fraud

Glory Ebomah

The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Sunday Ekele, for criminal breach of trust and misappropriation to the tune of N2,930, 029 (Two Million Nine Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Twenty-Nine Naira only).

He was arraigned on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna on a one-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation.

The lone -count reads: “That you, Ekele Sunday sometime in January 2020 in Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court being entrusted with property worth N2,930, 029 (Two Million Nine Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Twenty-Nine Naira only), by one Ayobami Oyeleye for the supply of pharmaceutical products which you sold and dishonestly misappropriated the money to your own use in violation of legal contract which you made in regard to the said sum and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 293 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State and punishable under Section 293 of the same Law”.

Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said the suspect pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to him.

In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, E.K Garba applied for a trial date and sought the defendant to be remanded in Kaduna Correctional Centre.

Meanwhile, counsel to the defendant, Usman Abdullahi urged the court to grant bail to his client.

After listening to both counsels, Justice Khobo granted the defendant bail in the sum of Two Million Naira only and a surety in like sum.

The surety must own a property in Kaduna with a Certificate of Occupancy which should be verified by the court registrar.

He also adjourned the matter to January 25, 2024, for a hearing. Ekele was arrested based on the claims of a petitioner alleging that, sometime in January 2020, the defendant entered into an agreement to market some pharmaceutical products worth N2,930,029 (Two Million Nine Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Twenty-Nine Naira only) but failed to remit payment after the products were supplied and efforts to recover the sum or products proved abortive.