The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] has declared the former state governor of Katsina state, Ibrahim Shema wanted.

The former state governor is wanted for criminal conspiracy, inflation of contracts, abuse of office, diversion of funds and embezzlement running into billions of naira.

The anti-graft agency also stated that Shema ignored several invitations by the commission since December 1, 2015, when he was first summoned by the agency.

In another development, the EFCC, on Monday, arraigned one Jules Suinner before Justice Babs Kuewumi of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence to the tune of N37 million( Thirty-Seven Million Naira). 

Suinner, together with his cohort, allegedly hijacked the email address and letterhead of a company named Greenview Development Nigeria Limited and used same to write a letter to Access Bank Plc to transfer the sum of N25, 000,000 (Twenty Five Million Naira) to the account of ICT Aid Foundation Cooperative Society domiciled with United Bank For Africa, UBA.

The money was allegedly transferred on July 14, 2015.

Also, the suspected fraudsters, on July 22, 2015, allegedly wrote to Access Bank to transfer of the sum of N12, 000,000 (Twelve Million Naira)| to the account of one Tee-EM Nigeria Limited domiciled with UBA.

One of the charges reads:  “That you, Jules Suinner, on or about the  13th day of July 2015, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this

Honourable Court, with intent to obtain money under false pretence, conspired with ICT Aid Foundation Cooperative Society (still at large) and others (still at large) to fraudulently impersonate officials of Greenview Development Nigeria Limited.”

The suspect pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Justice Kuewumi ordered the suspect to be remanded in prison custody and adjourned to September 14, 2016 for commencement of trial.

Meanwhile, the trio of Idorenyin Okon, Usen Akpan and Ukpai Onyike were also arraigned before Justice  Kuewumi on a four-count charge  bordering on impersonation and conspiracy to obtain money under false pretence to the tune of  N18 million.

The suspects allegedly defrauded different customers of a bank to the tune of over N18, 000,000 (Eighteen Million Naira) over a period of two years.

They were, however, arrested at a Union Bank branch in Ibadan, Oyo State, while in the process of obtaining an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card of another unsuspecting customer of the bank.

One of the charges reads: “That you Idorenyin Okon and Ukpai Onyike between February and April 2016 in Ibadan, Oyo State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to obtain an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card, conspired with Timothy Akpan(still at large) to fraudulently impersonate Esto Funmi Emmanuel.”

The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

Counsel to the suspects pleaded with the court to grant their clients bail.

However, prosecution counsel, E.E. Iheanacho, opposed the bail applications.

After listening to both parties, Justice Kuewumi ordered that the suspects be remanded in prison custody and adjourned to September 14, 2016 for hearing of the bail applications.

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