The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned four individuals on Tuesday for an alleged N44.7 million contract rip-off in Maiduguri, Borno State.
The defendants include two females and two males. The ladies are Ruth Emmanuel and Esther Gabari, whereas the boys are Ibrahim Hyelni and Gbenga Obanewo.
EFCC introduced them earlier than trial choose Muhammad Maina of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri to face eight counts, together with conspiracy, acquiring cash by false pretence, prison misappropriation, forgery and use of false paperwork.
An announcement from EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale on Tuesday mentioned the four defendants conspired amongst themselves in December 2025 and fraudulently took N44.7 million from a person, Ali Abatcha, for purported execution of a contract.
The relationship between the defendants and Mr Abatcha and the character of the contract weren’t disclosed in the assertion.
However, the fee said that the defendants took the cash from Mr Abatcha by way of Mr Hyelni’s Guaranty Trust Bank, beneath the false pretence that the cash was for the execution of a purported contract awarded by Global Health and Social Awareness (Ghasa) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, to Ruhemd Global Enterprises.
The fee said that the defendants knowingly misrepresented the aim of the funds, thereby committing an offence opposite to and punishable beneath Sections 1(1) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and different Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
The defendants pleaded not responsible to all eight counts.
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Following their not-guilty plea, prosecution lawyer S.O. Saka requested the court docket to repair a date for trial and detain the defendants in a correctional centre.
But a defence lawyer representing the primary and the second defendants, B. Balama, urged the court docket to grant bail to the primary defendant, Ms Emmanuel, on well being grounds.
The choose granted Ms Emmanuel bail at N50 million with two sureties who should be resident in Maiduguri. He added that one of many sureties should submit a title doc value N50 million to the court docket’s registrar.
The choose adjourned the case till 4 November for the beginning of trial and ordered the defendants to be held in the correctional centre until then.
The defendants have been arrested for allegedly conspiring and gathering an mixture sum of N44.7 million from their sufferer for the execution of a purported contract awarded by Global Health and Social Awareness (GHASA) Foundation, a illustration the fee mentioned was false.
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