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ABUJA – The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned to January 14, hearing on a suit by the Nigerian Police against Everestus Ugwuowo, Umar Adamu, Usman Audu and Adole Christopher Oche.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) arraigned the accused on allegations of selling a residential building with fabricated documents to the tune of 29 million naira.
Recall that in 2019, the IGP in amended 11-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/121/2018 filed on April 29, 2019 by ACP Simon Lough, SAN arraigned the suspects on the same matter.
Adamu, Audu and Oche, a staff of Bureau of Public Procurement were arraigned as the 1st to 4th defendants respectively.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu adjourned the matter due to the busy schedule of the court.
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, was alleged to have conspired with others to commit felony by obtaining money under false pretence and thereby committed the 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 pretense that they had the 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 of having 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 December 6, 2017 and returned dishonoured for lack of sufficient funds In your account.”
According to the letter, Ugwuowo also faces disciplinary proceedings at the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee in Petition Number BB/LPDC/520/2021.
Meanwhile, on 21 October, Ugwuowo in a press statement made on behalf of the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) in commemoration of the World Mental Health Day, had reportedly indicated that the Pyrates Confraternity is an organization that is interested in social justice.
