Man arraigned on a one count charge of obtaining by false pretense.

The Economic and financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned one Boniface Zakka, before Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High court Kano, on one count charge for the offence of obtaining by false pretence. The accused is alleged to have defrauded one Mr Yohanna Kabirat whom he knew for a while same.

 He avvered that they met in sabon gari, Kano and discussed issues relating to business. It was there the suspect introduced himself as staff of Abuja Geographic Information System, AGIS Abuja. That in the course of their discussion the suspect sold an idea of buying Plot of land in Abuja which he said to the complainant was a profitable business. Consequently the complainant asked him to intimate him of any of such plots that maybe up for sale. That after two weeks the suspect called the complainant and informed him of a plot of land for sale at N1.3 million Naira. 

The suspect later forwarded the name of one Mohammed Aliyu as owner of the plot of land. The complainant subsequently paid the sum of N1.3million into the accounts of the purported owner Mohammed Aliyu. However, since then the suspect began to avoid the complainant which till date neither the plot nor any document related to the transaction or money was given to him. Hence the petition. 

The count charge read that you Boniface Zakka on or about the 25th day of November, 2014 at Kano within the Judicial Division of the Federal High Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N1, 300,000.00 (One Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only) from one Yohanna Kabiru by false pretence through Mohammed Aliyu's Eco Bank with account number 3983000653 by falsely representing that you are a staff of Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and that the said money was meant for the purchase of a land in Abuja which representation you knew to be false thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.... ,Upon taking his plea he pleaded not guilty to the charge read against him. 

The prosecution counsel Musa Isa in view of the accused plea, urge the court to fixed a date for the commencement of trial as all their witness are ready. On his part counsel to the defendant applied orally for bail, which was overruled by the judge and he fixed 10th January, 2017 for hearing and he ordered that the defendant should be remanded in prison custody.