A 32 year old, Dominic David Chama of Luggere ward in Yola, the Adamawa state capital has been arraigned before Upper Area Court I Yola for duping his prayer partner, Onubiyi Augustine of Jambutu ward the sum of #7.8 million.
The suspect has been charged before the court over alleged impersonation, cheating and defamation of character contrary to sections 145, 312 and 377 of the Adamawa State Penal Code laws, 2018.
According to prosecution, the accused sometimes in 2018, presented himself as Personal Assistant (PA) to Professor Jeofrey Barminas Sware, the Director General (DG) National Institution for Chemical Technology, Zaria, in Kaduna state.
The prosecution added that the suspect deceived his victim and made him to fill and sign a form for a purported Federal Government Assisted Programme tagged "Say Yes To My Need" and duped the victim the sum of #7.8million.
The suspect who was arraigned before the court pleaded guilty and said he duped the victim about #4million and not #7.8million, and urged the court to grand him bail so that he will go and look for money to pay back the victim.
Dominic told the court that he used part of the money he collected and bought a Toyota starlet and squandered the remaining balance.
Thereafter, the Prosecutor, Inspector Zakka Musa urged the court to adjourn the matter so as to invite witnesses to corroborate with his plea of guilty and to prove the remaining money because according to him the alleged money is #7.8 million and not #4million.
The court which was presided by Magistrate Mohammed Abubakar, adjourned the case to 28th January, 2020 for hearing.
In a chat with NEWS PLATFORM, counsel to the complainant, Barr Joseph Na'ada Yakubu alleged that his client was duped by the suspect and that he is now standing trial in the court of law.
Barr Na'ada Yakubu narrated that both the suspect and complainant worship in the same chuch, Christ Miracle Church Mission (CMCM) in Jimeta and that it was there that they established rapport.
He disclosed that there was a time the victim assisted the suspect with the sum of #200,000 to treat his mother who was hospitalised and that since then, he took the advantage of the kind gesture and started planning on how to dupe the victim.
He added that the suspect registered a sim card in the name of the Professor and was calling the victim with the number, pretending to be the Professor, saying that the defendant later met the victim with the purported form from the Central Bank of Nigeria and asked him to fill it.
He explained that Dominic met the victim with the form and told him it was the Professor that had sent him with it for him to fill and that after he filled the form, he was asked to be depositing money in 2 accounts provided by the accused.
According to him, the suspect started calling him with the number he registered in the name of the Professor to continue depositing money which amounted to #7.8million.
He said his client started depositing money into the accounts since July last year with the expectation of proceeds from the money he deposited as promised to him by the suspect.
He further disclosed that the victim became suspicious with the transaction and narrated his ordeal to his sister who in turn contacted the Professor on the matter, but surprisingly, the Professor denied knowledge of the alleged transaction.
According to him, it was at this juncture that they reported the matter at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the police headquarters, hence the arrest of the suspect.
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