Saturday,
October 19, 2024 -Four suspects have been arraigned by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission for forgery and impersonation of the agency.
This was disclosed by the EFCC in a statement on X.com on Friday.
The statement partly read, “EFCC has arraigned Solomon Yohanna, Shedrach
Naphtali, Hassan Mohammed, and Abdullahi Abubakar before Justice Hammed Isha
for impersonating the EFCC by forging its documents to defraud unsuspecting
Nigerians.
“They were arraigned on nine-count charges of forgery, aiding to commit
a crime, and impersonation by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.”
One of the charges reportedly reads: “That you Solomon Yohana, Shedrach
Naphtali, Hassan Mohammed, Abdullah Abubakar, sometimes between 2023 and 2024
in Yola, Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did
forge the signature of the Commission (Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission) on the following documents; Letter of Authority on EFCC letterhead
dated 5th August, 2024, Investigation Approval letter dated 1st April, 2024 on
EFCC letter, letter of Team Approval dated 6th December, 2023 on EFCC
letterhead, letter of Team Approval dated 29th April, 2024 on EFCC letterhead
bearing the name of the 1st defendant on each document with intent to support
the claim that the 1st defendant is a staff of Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission sent to Guyuk Local Government to audit and supervise all the
projects of the Local Government awarded by the Federal, State and Local
Government, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of
forgery contrary to Section 349 and punishable under Section 351 of the Penal
Code Law of Adamawa state, 2018.”
One of the suspects, Yohanna, was said to have pleaded guilty to the
charge and was remanded at Yola Correctional Centre Adamawa State.
The statement added, “Upon arraignment on October 15, 2024, the first
defendant, Solomon Yohanna, pleaded guilty to the crimes while others pleaded
not guilty.
“In view of the first defendant’s plea of guilt, prosecution counsel,
Saad H. Saad prayed the court to allow him to bring up witnesses to review the
facts of the case. However, counsel to the defendant, C. Karamuel, told the
court he wasn’t ready to take any witnesses.”
Justice Isha also granted bail to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants in
the sum of N5 million each, with one surety, and adjourned the case to November
15, 2024, for trial and review of facts
“Justice Isha, having heard both prosecution and defence counsels
granted each of the defendants (2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants) bail in the sum of
N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) with one surety in like sum who must be
resident in Yola and a family man. The sureties shall deposit their identity
cards and sign bail bonds.
“The judge thereafter remanded Yohanna at Yola Correctional Centre Adamawa State and adjourned the matter to November 15, 2024, for both trial and review of facts,” the statement concluded.
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