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EFCC Presents Two Witnesses in Alleged N40.5m Contract Fraud
The trial of one Muhammed Abdullahi Kulloma before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri commenced on Monday, September 13, 2021 with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Maiduguri Zonal Command presenting two witnesses against the defendant.
Kulloma was arraigned alongside his firm, Mbuta Criterion Nigeria Limited on August 6, 2021 on a one-count charge of obtaining N40,500,000.00 (Forty Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) by false pretence.
The defendant allegedly deceived one Modu Mustapha Tijjani, Managing Director of Gumalti Nigeria Limited and obtained the said sum in tranches of N27million, N13million and N500,000.00 through his personal and company’s accounts, on the guise of financing a contract for the supply of locally made cooking stoves awarded to him by a Non-Governmental Organisation, Mercy Corps.
The one count charge reads: “That you, Muhammad Abdullahi Kulloma being the Chief Executive Officer of Mbuta Criterion Nigeria Ltd and alter ego of Mbuta Criterion Ltd, a company registered in Nigeria, sometimes in 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N40,500,000.00 (Forty Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) only from Modu Mustapha Tijjani, the Managing Director of Gumalti Nigeria Limited via your personal account No. 0236531326 and your corporate account No. 0458028956 with account name Mbuta Criterion Nigeria Limited both domiciled with GTB Plc under the false pretence that the said sum represent payment for the execution of a purported contract for the supply of locally fabricated cooking stoves made with clay knapsack sprayers awarded by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) , Mercy Corps, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charge was read to him.
At the resumed hearing today, first prosecution witness, Modu Mustapha Tijjani while being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, told the court that the first defendant informed his manager, Sadiq A. Goni, that he was awarded a contract by Mercy Corp worth N40.5million and he wanted the complainant to finance the contract which was obliged.
PW1 testified that, “On the 4th of December, 2020, my brother Bulama Mustapha Tijjani transferred the sum of N27million to the personal account of the defendant domiciled at Guaranty Trust Bank Plc after the defendant approached my manager for an assistance to finance a contract and he promised to pay back after thirty days. Afterwards, when Kulloma was contacted, he informed us that the contract is ongoing and he needed additional money to finish up the contract.
“Given his words, the sum of N13million was transferred to the defendant account domiciled with Guaranty Trust Bank on the 28th day of February, 2020 and another N500,000 was later transferred to Kulloma with an undertaking to pay all the monies including the accumulated profit but subsequently he reneged on his promise.”
The witness disclosed that he went to the NGO, Mercy Corps to inquire about the status of the contract and was told that the defendant had completed the contract and had been paid.
“Consequently, I confronted Kulloma with my findings from the Mercy Corps, and he admitted being paid and promised to pay in a month’s time. Later, he issued me a post dated cheque of N30million with Polaris Bank and an undated cheque of N14.4million with Zenith Bank which I later found out were dud cheques’ ‘, PW1 said.
PW2, Sadiq A. Goni, Manager of Gumalti Store Nigeria Limited, corroborated the evidence given by the PW1.
In his testimony, PW2 said, “I was introduced to the defendant by one of my neighbours, Mallam Usman Ado; who said the defendant was a vendor executing contracts with NGOs, that he was awarded a contract by Mercy Corps.
“I met with my Managing Director, Tijjani and informed him about the contract awarded to the defendant and a purported Purchase Order was presented to Tijjani by the defendant in my presence where he requested for financing, which Tijjani obliged.”
Justice Kumaliya, after listening to the testimonies of the witnesses adjourned the matter till September 29, 2021 for continuation of trial.
The defendant has been remanded in the correctional facility since the day of arraignment.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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