A prosecution witness, detective Dalyop Davou on Monday told an FCT High Court, Kubwa how Mr Nura Amadi allegedly swindled a businessman, Alhaji Garba Ibrahim of N12.7 million, claiming to be a Bureau de change operator.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Amadi with two counts bordering on fraud.
Davou, made the allegation while being led in evidence by the EFCC prosecution counsel, Yetunde Alabi.
He said the complainant’s lawyer, Shipi Rabo wrote a petition to the EFCC on Ibrahim’s behalf sometime in July 28, 2017.
”The complainant said as the defendant introduced himself as a registered Bureau de change operator when he was was about to travel to the UAE in 2015.
”The complainant needed $60, 000 (USD) for the trip and the defendant sent his brother, Aminu Amadi’s Zenith bank account details to him to pay the naira sum for the exchange.
”Ibrahim paid N10.6 million on May 22 and May 25 to the said account and gave the defendant N12. 7 million,” Davou said.
He further said the defendant asked the complainant to proceed with the trip to Dubai saying that he would send the dollar equivalent to him.
”While in Dubai, the complainant called the defendant and he did not pick up, leaving the complainant stranded for three weeks until he managed to return to Nigeria.
”On his arrival, he went to the defendant’s office in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja and was told that he was not a registered Bureau de change operator.
”It prompted the complainant to travel to the defendant’s hometown in Katsina state, where the father of the defendant intervened and paid back N3.6 million but the balance was never paid” he said.
Davou said his team wrote letters to Zenith bank for an analysis of the defendant’s brother’s statement of account and First Bank for the statement of the defendant’s account.
He said investigations revealed that the said sum was paid into the defendant’s brother’s account.
He further said the defendant and his brother were invited and reported to the EFCC, issued their statements where they admitted to receiving the said sum.
The defendant, he said, could not give reasonable explanation on what he did with the money and why he did not give the complainant the requested $60, 000 equivalent.
The prosecution counsel tendered the petition written to the EFCC, letters written to Zenith and First bank for bank statements and statements of the defendant and his brother which were admitted as exhibits.
Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya ordered that the search for the defendant should continue and adjourned the matter until July 12 in the interest of justice for the defendant to exercise his rights and examine the witness.
Ogbonnaya however said the court will continue trial in absentia if the defendant failed to appear in court.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution counsel on June 15, applied for the provisions of Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act(ACJA) for trial to continue in absentia.
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