The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned four suspects for forgery and impersonation of the agency.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement on X.com on Friday.
The statement partly read, “EFCC has arraigned Solomon Yohanna, Shedrach Naphtali, Hassan Mohammed, and Abdullahi Abubakar before Justice Hammed Isha for impersonating the EFCC by forging its documents to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
They were arraigned on nine-count charges of forgery, aiding to commit a crime, and impersonation by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”
One of the charges reportedly reads: “That you Solomon Yohana, Shedrach Naphtali, Hassan Mohammed, Abdullah Abubakar, sometimes between 2023 and 2024 in Yola, Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did forge the signature of the Commission (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) on the following documents; Letter of Authority on EFCC letterhead dated 5th August, 2024, Investigation Approval letter dated 1st April, 2024 on EFCC letter, letter of Team Approval dated 6th December, 2023 on EFCC letterhead, letter of Team Approval dated 29th April, 2024 on EFCC letterhead bearing the name of the 1st defendant on each document with intent to support the claim that the 1st defendant is a staff of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission sent to Guyuk Local Government to audit and supervise all the projects of the Local Government awarded by the Federal, State and Local Government, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of forgery contrary to Section 349 and punishable under Section 351 of the Penal Code Law of Adamawa state, 2018.”
One of the suspects, Yohanna, was said to have pleaded guilty to the charge and was remanded at Yola Correctional Centre Adamawa State.
The statement added, “Upon arraignment on October 15, 2024, the first defendant, Solomon Yohanna, pleaded guilty to the crimes while others pleaded not guilty.
In view of the first defendant’s plea of guilt, prosecution counsel, Saad H. Saad prayed the court to allow him to bring up witnesses to review the facts of the case. However, counsel to the defendant, C. Karamuel, told the court he wasn’t ready to take any witnesses.”
Justice Isha also granted bail to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants in the sum of N5 million each, with one surety, and adjourned the case to November 15, 2024, for trial and review of facts.
“Justice Isha, having heard both prosecution and defence counsels granted each of the defendants (2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants) bail in the sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) with one surety in like sum who must be resident in Yola and a family man. The sureties shall deposit their identity cards and sign bail bonds.
“The judge thereafter remanded Yohanna at Yola Correctional Centre Adamawa State and adjourned the matter to November 15, 2024, for both trial and review of facts,” the statement concluded.
(PUNCH)