Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned further proceedings in the fraud case involving the Nigerian Police and Senator Andy Uba to March 17, 2025. The adjournment follows the filing of a two-count amended charge by the police on March 4, which had not yet been served to the defendants at the time of the hearing.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The amended charge, filed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), accuses Senator Uba, Crystal, and Benjamin Etu of engaging in a ₦400 million fraud. The police allege that the accused conspired to defraud George Uboh by falsely presenting a plan to secure the appointment of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for a fee of ₦400 million, which was later claimed to be fraudulent.
At the resumed sitting, the prosecution, represented by Lukeman Anthony Esq., stated that the matter was for arraignment, and confirmed that the charge had been amended. However, when asked by Justice Ekwo whether the defendants had been served the amended charge, it was confirmed that they had not been served yet. The police lawyer requested seven days to complete the service, to which the judge agreed.
In the first count of the amended charge, the prosecution alleges that between 2022, Uba, Etu, and Hajiya Fatima (who remains at large) conspired to defraud George Uboh by falsely presenting that they had the ability to secure an appointment to the position of Managing Director at NDDC for any person who could afford ₦400 million. This act is alleged to be a violation of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act 2006.
In the second count, the police charge that Uba, Etu, and Hajiya Fatima induced Uboh by making the same false presentation regarding the NDDC appointment and collecting the ₦400 million as payment, which was also a fraudulent act under the same law.
The case has been adjourned to March 17, 2025, for the amended charge to be served on the defendants and for further proceedings to take place.
