In Enugu State, Benjamin Nwobodo has been brought before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for suspected ₦12 million land fraud.
EFCC’s Enugu Zonal Directorate reportedly charged Barrister Nwobodo with five counts that bordered on forgery and gaining by pretense before Federal High Court Judge F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo in Independence Layout, Enugu State.
The third count of the charge states: “That on January 15, 2014, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, you, Benjamin Chukwuemeka Nwobodo, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Nine Million Naira only (₦9,000,000.00) from one Wilson Ikeani Igwe under the false pretense of selling him three plots of land situated at Emene, Enugu State, a pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense against Section 1 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act, 2006, punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
According to count four of the charge, “On December 15, 2014, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, you, Benjamin Chukwuemeka Nwobodo, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Three Million Naira only (₦3,000,000.00) from one Wilson Ikeani Igwe under the false pretense of selling him a plot of land situated at Emene, Enugu State, a pretense you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
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Following the reading of the charges, the defendant entered a not guilty plea.
The EFCC’s Chief Superintendent, Chikezie Raymond Edozie, requested the court for a trial date and the remand of the defendant to the Enugu State Correctional Facility in light of his plea.
But after announcing that he would be getting legal counsel, the defendant applied for bail orally, and the court granted it on the following conditions.
The terms of the bail include two sureties in the amount of ₦25 million Naira, one of whom needs to own a landed property in the city of Enugu.
The court must have three years of tax clearance from the other surety, who must be a blood relative.
The EFCC must confirm the sureties and their addresses within seven working days of receiving the sureties’ details, and both sureties must depose and submit an affidavit of means.
In addition, the defendant must present his international passport to the Deputy Court Registrar.
The court then allowed the defendant to return home on his own recognizance, but ordered him 10 (ten) days to complete the bail conditions or the EFCC would arrest him and transfer him to a correctional facility.
The trial date has been set for May 13 and 14, 2025.
