The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned two persons: Joseph Victor Ndubuka and Munkai’la Abubakar before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court on charges bordering on romance scam and non-disclosure of assets, as well as obtaining by false pretence and forgery.

While Joseph Victor Ndubuka was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on romance scam and non- disclosure of assets, Munkai’la Abubakar was arraigned on a seven-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and forgery.

According to the charge brought against Joseph Victor Ndubuka by EFCC, the defendant allegedly used the false identity of Caucasian gay to defraud unsuspecting victims of their hard-earned money.

One of the counts reads, “that you, Victor Joseph Ndubuka “m” sometime in March 2023 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets by deliberately refusing to declare your cryptocurrency and Non Fungible Token (NTF) all worth about Twenty Eight Thousand Dollars in the Disclosure of Assets and Liabilities Form and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(3) (a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under Section (27) (3) of the same Act.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecuting counsel, Precious C. Onyeneho urged the court to fix a date for hearing of the matter, while the defence counsel, A.I Hamza urged the court to admit his client to bail.

Justice Darius, however, adjourned the case till May 3, 2023 for hearing of his bail application and ordered the defendant remanded at the Correctional Centre. .

For Munkai’la Abubakar, the seven-count charge bordered on obtaining by false pretence and forgery.

The Commission stated that the defendant sometime in January, 2018, allegedly sold four plots of land to one Umar Iskil for N4, 800,000 with forged titled documents.

One of the count charges reads: “that you, Munka’ilu Abubakar sometime in January, 2018 at Kaduna within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Justice of Kaduna state with intent to defraud forged a document titled “TAKARDAN YARJENIYAN SAYAR DA PLOT KO GIDA DAKE DANBUSHIYA KADUNA” in respect of plot situate at Millennium City, Danbushiya Kaduna purportedly issued by Abubakar Mamadi, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 344 and punishable under Section 345 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017”.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Consequently, the prosecution counsel, N. Salele applied for a date for trial to commence and urged the court to remand the defendant. However, the defence counsel, Yunus O. Olakulehin urged the court to admit the defendant to bail.

Justice Khobo adjourned till May 10, 2023, for hearing of the defendant’s motion for bail and remand the defendant in Nigeria Correctional Centre.