The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Alhaji Usman Abubakar alongside Young Alhaji Foundation before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The defendants face a five-count charge allegedly bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing of N950million.
Abubakar, the Foundation and Dr. Abu Omer Fawzi (at large), sometime in September 2022, conspired to obtain N950,000,000 from Ano Farms Limited.
They allegedly collected under the pretence that they had a dollar equivalent of the said sum.
Abubakar pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read in court on Wednesday.
Prosecuting counsel, Bilikisu Buhari prayed the court for a trial date to enable the prosecution call its witnesses and tender relevant documents.
Counsel for the defendants, Olatubosun Olanipekun, SAN, pleaded that Abubakar be kept at the EFCC custody, pending the hearing of bail application.
However, the attempt to make an oral application for bail was dismissed by the court, as the trial judge held that “this court is a court of records”.
Justice Dada adjourned till March 1, 2023 to hear the bail application and ordered that the defendant remain with the commission.