By Adebola Owolola
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Office on June 13, 2019 arraigned one Tijani Adamu before Justice Moh’d Tukur Muazu of the Kaduna State High Court on a seven-count charge bordering on forgery, altering and giving false information.
Adamu wanted to stand surety for one Ibrahim Adamu, who was arrested for an alleged fraud, and who was to be granted bail pending the conclusion of investigations into the fraud.
He presented documents to the EFCC claiming to be as a staff of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC.
However, when the documents he tendered were sent by the EFCC to UBEC for verification and to ascertain whether he was a staff of the UBEC, the feedback was that his appointment with UBEC was in fact terminated in 2004, and so he was no longer in the employ of the UBEC. Subsequently, he was arrested.
He testified in his statement that he was approached by one Alhaji Shuaibu, a friend of his, to come and take Ibrahim Adamu on bail.
Under further interrogation, he confessed that the documents, which included a letter of introduction from UBEC as a level 16 officer of the Commission, alongside others required to stand in as surety, were forged for him by a friend of his.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Alhaji Tijjani Adamu, sometimes in January 2019 at Kaduna within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court did pretend to be a Deputy Director, Internal Audit on Salary Grade Level 16/5 of the National Primary Education Commission/ Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) which you knew to be false and in that assumed character, stood as a surety to one Ibrahim Adamu in Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 96 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State 2017.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
Prosecuting counsel, Y.J. Matiyak, urged the court to give a date for the commencement of trial, and to remand the defendant in prison, pending the trial date.
Defence counsel, A.M. Imam, however, moved the bail application of the defendant, but Matiyak, raised objections, arguing that the alleged offence bordered on felony and that he needed time to file a counter-affidavit in response to the bail application.
After listening to the arguments, Justice Muazu, ordered the defendant to be remanded in prison, and adjourned to July 3, 2019 for “hearing of bail application and commencement of trial”.
