The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Makurdi zonal office, has arraigned one Babiya Meshack Mailafia on a four – count charge of conspiracy, employment scam, and obtaining money under false pretences to the tune of N600,000.
The Commission also arraigned one Gbaa Luther Benjamin on a one – count charge of stealing and unauthorized ATM cash withdrawal to the tune of N200,000.
Both Mailafia and Babiya were arraigned before Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon sitting at the Federal High Court Makurdi, Benue State.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Babiya Meshack Mailafia, Faruk Jimoh, Babiya Timothy and Innocent (now at large), sometime in September, 2018 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did conspire among yourselves to obtain the aggregate sum of N600,000 by false pretence from one Shuibu Lukman under the pretext of giving two of his siblings a job with the Nigeria Immigration Service and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
Prosecution counsel, Mary Onoja, asked for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in custody pending his bail.
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However, the counsel to the defendant, H. M. Animasun prayed the Court to allow him make an oral application for the bail of his client which was rejected by the Court. The court stated that he should file a proper application for bail.
Justice Olajuwon remanded the defendant in Makurdi correctional centre pending the hearing of his bail application while the case was adjourned till May 11, 2020 for commencement of trial.
Meanwhile, Gbaa Benjamin, was accused of stealing an electronic card to with: A Zenith Bank Plc debit card issued in the name of Ishima Lohodeboo Yakubu with Account No. 2208635042 and withdrew the sum of N200,000 only, from the said account and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 33(3) of the Cybercrime (prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act, 2015″.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
Prosecution counsel, Mary Onoja, asked for a trial date and also asked that the defendant be remanded in custody pending his bail.
His counsel, J. T. Jinge, however, prayed the Court that he be allowed to make an oral application for the bail of his client since the client was still under adminstrative bail granted him by the Commission. This was rejected by the Court.
Justice Olajuwon remanded the defendant in correctional centre pending the hearing of his bail application, and the case was adjourned till May 11, 2020 for commencement of trial
