The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Ugwu Alexander Chekwube, before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State.
The defendant was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N85, 000,000.00 (Eighty-five million naira only).
One of the four-count charges reads: “That you, Ugwu Alexander Chekwube and one Ugo Sunday Onuaguluchi (At large) from 2nd November 2022, to 6th December 2022 in Enugu, Enugu State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud induced one Zod International Developers to deliver to you the sum of N85,000,000.00 (Eighty-five million naira), under the pretence that you will help him secure a contract for the construction of six District Hospitals in Ebonyi State which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” after hearing the charges read to him and following plea, counsel to the EFCC, Nuradeen Shehu Ingawa, prayed the court for a trial date and the remand of the defendant at the Enugu State Correctional Centre. Defence counsel, M. C. Onwuzuruoha, however, told the court about a pending bail application before it.
Justice Umar thereafter adjourned the matter till April 17, 2024 for a hearing on the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded at Enugu State Correctional facility.
Chekwube was arrested by the EFCC for allegedly luring a construction company, Zod International Developers, to pay him N85, 000,000.00 under the pretence that he would help the company secure a contract for the construction of six district hospitals in Ebonyi State. After collecting the said amount, the defendant neither secured the contract nor refunded the money to the petitioner.
