NAN-H-43
Adjournment
By Ummul Idris
Abuja, Dec. 8, 2016 (NAN) Justice Mamman Kolo of FCT High Court, Wuse,
on Thursday, adjourned hearing in a land dispute until Jan. 23, 2017.
The defendant is Gabriel Andrew, the principal officer of Ibwel & Co company Ltd.
Andrew is being tried for fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC prosecuting counsel, Salomi Samuel, told the court that sometimes in 2014, the defendant collected N5 million from Cosmos David of Asokoro, Abuja, being payment for plot of land which David bought with number 1672 at Jahi District, Abuja
Samuel said Andrew, however, gave David a forged power of attorney for the land and
when the complainant found out that it was forged, he reported to the police.
She added that while paying back the money, Andrew then issued a postdated cheque of N5 million to the complainant but the cheque bounced as there was no money in the account given by the defendant.
The prosecuting council said that when the complainant confronted the defendant, he threatened to sue him and the police “for abuse of his fundamental human rights.”
She said that the defendant committed an offence under Section 363 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 364 of the same act.
The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him and in view of his plea, counsel to EFCC urged the court to fix a date for trial.
However, defence counsel, Christian Abode, through an oral application, urged the court to grant the defendant bail relying on Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and Section 36 (5) of the Nigerian Constitution.
According to him, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Hearing in the case is now fixed for Jan. 23. (NAN)
UMD/HA
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Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu