The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned a former vice-chancellor of the Federal University Gusau on five counts of fraud including obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.
Magaji Garba, a professor, was arraigned before a judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi, Abuja, Maryam Hassan-Aliyu, a statement by the anti-corruption agency said.
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EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, who signed the statement, said Mr Garba is being accused of extorting about N260 million from a contractor on the pretext of awarding him a N3billion contract for the perimeter wall fencing of the university
One of the offences, according to Mr Uwujaren, is contrary to section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Count two is quoted as reading, “That you, Professor Magaji Garba, whilst being the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Gusau on or about the 15th of May, 2019 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) from Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ministaco Nigeria Limited, a contractor executing the construction of the Grand Convocation Square of the Federal University, Gusau under the false pretence of awarding a project for the perimeter wall fencing of the University valued at the total sum of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira) which representation/pretense you knew to be false”.
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The count reads, “That you, Professor Magji Garba, whilst being the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Gusau on or about the 1st August, 2019 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N150,000,000.00 (One Hundred and fifty Million Naira from Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, Managing Director/Chief Executive officer of Ministaco Nigeria Limited, a contract executing the construction of the Grand Convocation Square at the Federal University, Gusau under the false presence of awarding a project for the perimeter wall fencing of the University valued at the total sum of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira), which representation/pretense you knew to be false”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to all five charges when the charges were read to him.
EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, then asked for a trial date, and requested that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.
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But the defence counsel, R. Usman, applied for the bail of his client. The application was, however, opposed by the prosecuting counsel on the ground that he was only served at about 10:33 a.m. on Tuesday.
The judge then adjourned the matter till Thursday for hearing of the bail application and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
Formerly a lecturer in the Pharmacy Department of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Mr Garba was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as the vice-chancellor of the Federal University, Gusau, in February 2016.
Mr Gusau handed over after concluding his five-year tenure in February this year.
As a lecturer at ABU, Mr Garba, a researcher in phytomedicine, taught pharmaceutical analysis to both graduates and undergraduates.
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