The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned the trio of Abubakar Mohammed Bako, Buhari Sidi Attahiru and Aliyu Mohammed Waziri before Justice D. Z. Senehi of FCT High Court sitting in Jabi, Abuja, on a seven-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N19 million.

Count 2 of the charge reads: “That you, Muhammed Bako, being Managing Director Oga Pikin and Gas Limited and AMX Group Limited, Buhari Sidi “M” and Aliyu Mohammed Waziri “M”, Victoria Tarum (now at large) and Stephen Job Tarum (now at large) on or about 15th December, 2013 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, did obtained the sum of N19,300,000.00 from Bala Mohammed, the Executive Director, Springcot Limited, by falsely claiming that the said sum is meant for payment of allocation of 500MT of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) from Petroleum Products and Marketing Company (PPMC) through the Minister of Petroleum Resources. The two UBA drafts issued in favour of Oga Pikin and Gas Limited Nos. 0612171 of N6 million and 06121972 of N6.5million were cleared in the company’s Access Bank Account No. 0058475894, dated 16 December, 2013 respectively, which pretence you knew to be false thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud Act and Other Related Offences Act No.14 of 2006.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Upon their plea, Steve Odiase, counsel to EFCC, urged the court to fix a date for the prosecution to present its witnesses.

However, S. I. Ugbe, K. O. Dorzo, A. B. Eleburuike representing 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively, prayed the court to admit their clients to bail while relying on Section 162 of the ACJA, 2015 and Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which presumes an accused innocent until the contrary is proven before the court.

The counsel added that the defendants had been on administrative bail granted them by the EFCC and had not breached the terms of the bail.

Justice Senehi admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N2 million each and two sureties each in like sum.

He, thereafter, adjourned to December 13, 2017 for hearing.