Alleged Fraudster Who Cloned Ex-Customs Boss’ Aide’s Phone to Produce Accomplice as Bail Condition
Loading ...Justice D.Z. Senchi of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Jabi on March 8, 2018 ordered Balarabe Abdullahi to produce his co-defendant Usman Baba Yusuf (currently at large) as part of conditions to be fulfilled before he is granted bail.
Abdullahi is facing a four-count charge bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretence, after he cloned the phone number of Abdulmumini Bako, a former Special Assistant to the former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko Inde, and used it to defraud his victims of N2million. He had been in prison custody since his re-arrest by EFCC.
In granting him bail, the trial judge ordered Abdullahi to “lead the prosecution to where Usman Baba Yusuf is”, as part of his bail conditions, which included two sureties in the like sum of N1million each.
“The sureties must be resident in Abuja and not below level 12, and the sureties must ensure that the defendant is available to stand his trial till the matter is concluded,” the judge held.
One of the counts reads: “That you Balarabe Abdullahi and Usman Baba Yusuf (alias Usman Dakingari )at large, sometimes in June 2015 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory held out yourselves as Assistant Comptroller of Nigerian Customs Service and that assumed position directed one Zakari Jibril (a Comptroller of Nigerian Customs Service) to pay the sum of N1million (One Million Naira) to account number 0049663040 in the name of Balarabe Abdullahi domiciled in Access Bank Nigeria Plc and thereby committed the offence of cheating by impersonation, contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja)LFN, 1990 nad punishable under section 322 of the same Act.”
The matter has been adjourned to May 7, 2018 for continuation of trial.
