From Godwin Tsa Abuja
The Inspector-General of Police has dragged a legal practitioner, Everestus Ugwuowo, and three others before the Abuja division of the Federal High Court over allegations of defrauding a woman of N29 million and forging documents to sell a house in Abuja.
Others listed in the amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/121/2018, as defendants are Umar Sanda Adamu, Usman Audu and Adole Christopher Oche, a staff of Bureau of Public Procurement.
The amended 11 counts charge dated and filed on April 29, 2019 by ACP Simon Lough, SAN, is
presently before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.
The defendants, who were arraigned in 2018 and granted bail, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
They were alleged to have committed the allegations in connivance with Damian Audu, Joseph Omale, Kingsley Awodi, now at large on or about September 2017 in Abuja.
In count one, Ugwuowo, who is said to be practicing under the name Evaruth Solicitors, was alleged to have conspired with others to commit felony by obtaining money under false pretense and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act 2006.
In count two of the charge, they were alleged to have, while acting in concert and with intent to defraud Mrs Grace Awajash Dauda, forged letters of authority to sale; consent to assign House 11, 62 Road, Gwarimpa Estate with No. FHA/OCE/GWA II OWU C; Irrevocable Power of Attorney and Deed of Assignment.
The letters were purported to have been signed by Grema Mohammed Umar with three Federal Housing Authority (FHA) receipts, letter of offer, letter of allocation, letter of checking in of owner occupiers in respect of the house.
These were alleged to have been used to deceitfully collect the sum of N29 million from Mrs Dauda on the pretence that they had authority to sell the property.
“And having collected her money, you shared it among yourselves, when you know or had reason to believe that you do not have the authority to sell the house and all the documents you gave to her were forged.
“You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act 2006,” it read.
In count 10, the lawyer was accused to have issued Mrs Dauda a UBA dud cheque number: 77703052 on December 1, 2017, for the sum of N29 million “in repayment of the money you deceitfully collected from her.
“Which was presented for payment on the 6 December, 2017 and returned dishonoured for lack of sufficient funds In your account.”
“The offence is said to be contrary to Section 1(1) of the Dishonoured Cheque Act CAP Dil LFN 2004.
Upon resumed hearing in the matter, the 1st prosecution witness (PW1), Ismaila Bana, after his evidence, was cross-examined by Ugwuowo’s lawyer, Patrick Otsima.
Bana, an in-law to nominal complainant, while being cross-examined, told the court that Ugwuowo only gave Mrs Dauda photocopies of the house documents for verification at FHC.