Village Head Remanded in Prison Custody For Land Scam
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Gombe zonal office, on January 24, 2018, arraigned one Alhaji Muhammad Uba Wuntin Dada before Justice M. Shitu of Federal High Court, Bauchi, on one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.
Dada, who is the Village Head of Wuntin Dada under Bauchi Emirate Council (SARKIN WUNTIN DADA) was alleged to have fraudulently sold a parcel of land in October 2013.
The complainant claimed that he bought the plot of land at the sum of N550,000 (Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira). After two years of purchase, another claimant showed up to lay claim on the same plot of land. The new claimant said the land with title documents were issued to him by Ministry of Housing and Land, Bauchi State.
Investigation revealed that the complainant was deceived by the defendant who made him believe that the plot is genuine and belongs to him, knowing fully that he had no title documents, neither was the land allocated to him.
The charge reads:
“That you, Alhaji Muhammad Uba Wuntin Dada sometimes in October, 2013 or thereabout, at Bauchi, Bauchi State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only (N550,000.00) from the duo of Musa Abubakar Garba and Aminu Maigari as the purchase price for the property located at Guru Miri Bauchi, Bauchi State, under the false Pretence that you are legal owner, facts which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1)(b) and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006”.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Counsel to EFCC, Zarami Muhammad asked the court for a date to commence trial and also requested the remand of the defendant in prison custody.
While adjourning the case to March 12, 2018 for trial, Justice Shitu granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N1million and one surety who must be a traditional title holder within Bauchi.
“The defendant is to be remanded in prison custody pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions”, the judge ordered.
