The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC has arrested a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress
(APC), Chief Benjamin Benedict Apugo at his village, Nkata Ibeku, in Abia State.
His arrest on Friday September 30th, 2016 was sequel to a 4 July, 2016
warrant issued to that effect by a Federal High Court in Umuahia presided
over by Justice D.E. Osiagor after the
accused failed to appear before the court to take his plea on a three
count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense brought against him
by the EFCC.
He was alleged to have fraudulently sold six (6)
plots of land valued at N36.000,000 (Thirty Six Million Naira Only)
belonging to the Nigeria Railway Cooperation located at Umunwulari Nkata
Ibeku layout, Planning Scheme Umuahia.
A previous warrant was issued for the
arrest of the defendant on 8th October ,2015 by Justice F.A.
Olubanjo after he had failed to appear before the court on same charge.
Even though the politician had
earlier been invited by the Commission where he made statement under caution
and was released on administrative bail, he had since then become elusive.
He had however through his counsel,
Professor Earnest Ojukwu, SAN tried to frustrate the case on three previous
instances either by applying for the quashing or the transfer of the case to
another judge.
After, Justice Olubanjo was
transferred and Justice Evelyn Anyadike took over the matter, Ojukwu (SAN) moved a motion to quash the
charge and set aside the bench warrant which was refused prompting him to
petition the Chief Judge stating that the defendant has no confidence in the
judge.
Based on the petition, the Chief
Judge transferred the case to the present judge, Justice Osiagor who heard the
two applications and in a considered ruling, dismissed application to quash the
charge and suspended the bench warrant.
He however ordered the defendant to
appear before him pursuant to Section 87 of the Administration of Criminal
Justice Act, 2015 on the next adjourned date of July 4,2016, an
appointment which for the umpteenth time, the APC chieftain failed to honour
necessitating the latest arrest warrant to produce him in court on
Wednesday October 11,2016.
One of the charges against
the defendant reads:
“That you Prince Benedict
Benjamin Apugo on or about the 7th day of March 2013 in Umuahia within the
jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud
obtained the sum of six million naira (N6,000,000.00) from one Mr Obioma
Nehemiah Isiuwa, when you falsely represented yourself through his agent, Mrs. Adline Victor Nkwo, to be the owner of
six plots of land valued at thirty-six million Naira (N36,000,000.00) located
at the House of Assembly Road by Ochendo By-Pass in Umunwulari Nkata Ibeku
layout, Umuahia, Umuahia -North Local Government Area, Abia State otherwise called Ogurube
layout, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence
contrary to section 1 (1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3)
of the same Act.”
Wilson
Uwujaren
Head,
Media & Publicity
30th
September, 2016
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