The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Enugu Zonal Command arrested Mr. Ugwu Alexander Chekwube for allegedly luring Zod International Developers, a construction company to pay him the sum of eighty-five million naira (N85, 000,000.00) to secure a contract for the construction of six district hospitals in Ebonyi State.
Ugwu however reneged on the agreement failing to secure the said contract or refund the money to the company.
Mr. Ugwu has been arraigned before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by pretense to the tune of N85, 000,000.00 (Eighty-five million naira only).
One of the four-count charges states, “That you, Ugwu Alexander Chekwube, and one Ugo Sunday Onuaguluchi (At large) from 2nd November 2022 to 6th December 2022 in Enugu, Enugu State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud induced one Zod International Developers to deliver to you the sum of N85,000,000.00 (Eighty-five million naira), under the pretense that you will help him secure a contract for the construction of six District Hospitals in Ebonyi State which pretense you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Counsel to the EFCC, Nuradeen Shehu Ingawa, prayed the court for a trial date and the remand of the defendant at the Enugu State Correctional Centre; Justice Umar thereafter adjourned the matter till April 17, 2024, for hearing on the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded at Enugu State Correctional facility.
