TWO LADIES IN YOLA COURT FOR DEFRAUDING 4 PEOPLE N3.960MILLION

Yola Chief Magistrate Court I Admin, in Adamawa state has charged Two (2) Young Ladies, Acheri A. Malgwi and Christiana Audu of Mubi North Local Government Area, with the offences of conspiracy and cheating 4 people of the whooping N3.960million. 

The presiding judge, Aliyu Bawuro, charged Acheri, 23 and Christiana, 24, of Mubi North LGA, with the alleged offences contrary to sections 60 and 312 and punishable under sections 61(2) and 313 of the state penal code law, 2018.

The defendants who are students of Adamawa State University (ADSU), Mubi, and Federal Polytechnic Mubi, were charged to court for allegedly defrauding Biyama Philip, Mandela Tumba, Tizhe Geoffrey and Faith Samuel of different addresses in Mubi of N3.960 million.

According to prosecution, the defendants who were agents of a particular business firm, Adetec International Business World in conjunction with Bitcon Binary, fraudulently deceived the complainants to invest their money with the firm so as to obtain 25% and 30% interests depending on the money invested.

It averred that in October, 2020, the Ladies sought for the investors to come and invest in the fraudulent company, and get their principal amounts and the interests after one week; hence, the decision of the complainants to invest huge amount of money in the company.

While testifying in court, one of the complainants, Biyama Philip, alleged that Acheri approached him in October, 2020, and explained to him in details the benefits in investing in the company, and that he got convinced and invested N400, 000.  

Also in his testimony, another complainant, Tumba Mandela, said that it was Acheri, who introduced him to the business and also collected the sum of N1million as investment.

On her part, Faith Samuel, informed the court that it was Christiana Audu, who intimated her about the business, and that she agreed and invested the sum of 225, 000, saying that Christiana asked her to come after a week for collection of principal amount and interest. 

Narrating his ordeal, Tizhe Geoffery, testified that it was Acheri who introduced him into the business, and that he later gave her the sum of N500, 000 cash as deposit, expecting the sum of N550, 000, the following week, 

He disclosed that he also borrowed the sum of N500, 000 and N30, 000, from Caleb Joel and Mahyel Elisha respectively and the sum of N250, 000 and deposited all into the company, and expecting his principal amount and interest in one week.

NEWS PLATFORM gathered that the complainants invested the total sum of N3.960million cash into the company, and later turned out to be fraud as the Manager of the International Business Firm, Daniel Obade, was said to have disappeared.

Also, testifying as witness, Sergeant Promise Lonkoh of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police headquarters Yola, narrated that the matter was earlier reported to them, and that in the course of investigation, they found out that the business had crashed and the Manager of the company, Daniel Obade, was no where to be found.

Ruling, Magistrate Bawuro, held that the evidence tendered in court reveals a prima facie case of the offences of conspiracy and cheating against the defendants, and they can enter their defence.

He declared that the defendants are at liberty to call their witnesses, recall the prosecution witnesses for cross examination, and that they can also be competent witnesses to defend themselves, but only at their own volition. 

When the defendants were asked to enter their plea, they pleaded not guilty, and prayed the court to give them time to prepare and defend themselves.

It was at this juncture that the court adjourned the matter to the 1st September,  2021, for defence following an application by the Prosecutor, Seargent Sawe Nicholas.