EFCC Arraigns Fake Oil Traders for N13m
Scam
Franklin-Uche, Suspect1
Muhammed Abubakar Alfa, Suspect 2
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) today arraigned the duo of Muhammed
Abubakar Alfa and Franklin Uche before Justice
Dije Aboki of Kano High Court on a 39-count
charge bordering on conspiracy, possession of
fake document and obtaining by false pretence.
The accused persons allegedly defrauded one
Ambassador Abdullah Musa, a Libyan, of the
sum of N13, 000,000.00 (thirteen million Naira).
The duo were said to have met their victim
through one of his Nigerian business associates,
a certain Muktar Ahmed, and sold to him, via
telephone, a proposal to supply him crude oil
from Nigeria. The unsuspecting Ambassador
received an invitation letter to come to Nigeria to
close the deal. During the visit, the accused
persons allegedly presented the victim with
documents sourced from relevant agencies.
Impressed, Musa invited the 1st accused
(Muhammed Alfa) to his base in Tunisia, where
another round of meeting was held.
Consequently, the deal was sealed. Thereafter,
the sum of N13, 000,000.00 (thirteen million
Naira) was paid into Muhammed Abubakar Alfa’s
account domiciled in one of the old
generation banks in Nigeria.
After waiting for months without receiving any
crude oil from the accused persons, it became
obvious that he had been duped.
One of the counts in the charge reads, “ that you
Muhammed Abubakar Alfa and Franklin Uche on
or about 5th day of November, 2012 in Kano
within the judicial Division of the High Court of
Justice of Kano State with intent to defraud did
invite Abdullah Musa Hamd Bashir to visit
Nigeria for the purpose of alleged crude oil
business which resulted into obtaining the sum
of N13,000,000.00 ( thirteen million Naira) under
false pretence from him through his agent one
Muktar Ahmed Muhammed and thereby
committed an offence contrary to and punishable
under Section 4 of the Advance Fee Fraud and
Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006”.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty when
the charges were read to them. Attempt by
counsel to the 2nd accused, John Nwoke to
present an oral bail application for his client was
refused by the trial judge, who remanded the
accused persons in prison custody.