The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, El Haji Osman Abubakar along with the Young El Haji Foundation, have been arraigned before Judge Mugisola Dada of the Special Crimes Court in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The defendants are facing one count of five counts of allegedly approaching obtaining funds by false pretense and theft of N950 million.
Abubakar, the Foundation and Dr. Abu Omar Fawzi (in general), at some point in September 2022, conspired to obtain N950,000,000 from Anu Farms Ltd.
It was alleged that they collected under the pretext that they had the equivalent in the aforementioned dollars.
Abu Bakr pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read in court on Wednesday.
Prosecution counsel, Belkiso Buhari, called the court for a trial date to enable the prosecution to call its witnesses and submit relevant documents.
The defendants’ attorney, Olatubosun Olanipekun, SAN, pleaded that Abubakar be kept in EFCC’s custody, pending a hearing of the bail application.
However, the court refused to attempt an oral application for bail, with the trial judge holding that “this court is the court of records”.
Judge Dada adjourned until March 1, 2023 to hear the bail application and ordered the defendant to remain with the committee.
EFCC summons Young Pilgrim claiming to have collected N950m for a dollar swap
