A Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Monday, remanded a lawyer, Imoh Ekong, at the Uyo Correctional Centre over an alleged N12 million property fraud.
He is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge of stealing and criminal conversion.
EFCC operatives in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, arrested Mr Ekong in December 2017 based on a petition from, Ime Umo who alleged that he had paid the lawyer N12 million in 2015 as a part-payment for a property in Uyo, according to a statement by the EFCC.
“The petitioner, however, could not pay a balance of N28 million for the property because he found out that the power of attorney presented to him by Mr Ekong was allegedly forged. He also discovered that the property had previously been sold to someone else”, the EFCC said in its statement.
Mr Ekong was arrested and arraigned at the State High Court, Uyo, where he was granted bail in 2019. But he jumped bail.
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He was re-arrested by the EFCC and arraigned on Monday. The suspect pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Justice Maureen Onyetenu, after listening to the prosecuting counsel, Victor Ukagwu, who informed the court that the defendant had previously jumped bail, ordered him to be remanded at the Uyo Correctional Centre.
The court adjourned the matter till 19 October for hearing on the defendant’s bail application.
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In a related development, Justice Onyetenu on Monday sentenced an internet fraudster, Mbang Uba, to one year imprisonment over a $300 scam.
The convicted fraudster was, however, given an option to pay a N500,000 fine.
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