By Dipo Olowookere
One Mr Ibrahim Bashir believed to be working with United Bank for Africa (UBA) Post Office Branch in Kano has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on one count charge of obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N100 million.
According to the anti-graft agency, Mr Bashir allegedly convinced his victim, one Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Ma’aji of Platinum Synergy Limited, to part with the above amount with the promise that it would be invested in foreign exchange and earn a monthly profit of N7 million.
A statement issued by the EFCC said Mr Bashir claimed to be the in charge of forex at the UBA branch when he was actually an office assistant in the marketing department.
When he was arraigned on Thursday, May 11, 2017 before Justice R.D Aisha of the Kano State High Court, the charge was read to him, but he pleaded not guilty.
“You Ibrahim Bashir sometimes in 2015 at Kano, within the judicial division of the High Court of Kano State, while working with the United Bank for Africa Post Office Branch, Kano, as office assistant in the marketing department, with intent to defraud obtained from one Mohammed Ibrahim Ma’aji of Platinum Synergy Limited the sum of N100 million via your company account called Rabnas Global Concept by falsely representing to him that you are head of forex with United Bank for Africa and a registered Bureau de Change Operator and that the money will be invested in forex business by given him monthly profit of N7 million and will also refund his entire capital of N100 million at the end of December 2015, which you did not and you thereby committed an offense 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 charge read.
Meanwhile, the accused has been remanded in prison in prison custody pending ruling on bail application on June 1, 2017.
Modupe Gbadeyanka 
Aduragbemi Omiyale