From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
An Abuja Federal High Court has ordered the remand of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) consultant, Umar Abdullahi, over allegations of money laundering and obtaining funds under false pretence amounting to N131.8 million and $200,000.
Abdullahi, 48, was arraigned by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), before Justice Emeka Nwite on a four-count charge.
The prosecution followed a petition by Alhaji Shehu Badamosi, who accused him of fraud and breach of trust.
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According to the EFCC, Abdullahi allegedly claimed he had secured a contract with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and convinced investors to release the funds for its execution. The petitioner told the court that after collecting the money, the defendant neither executed the contract nor refunded the funds.
One of the charges stated that Abdullahi accepted a cash payment of $200,000 for shares in a company without routing it through a financial institution, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Another count accused him of fraudulently obtaining N104.9 million from a firm under the guise of procuring telecoms equipment for NCC staff.
Abdullahi pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecution counsel, Cosmas Ugwu, urged the court to remand him in prison custody, noting that he had previously jumped administrative bail granted by the Commission. However, defence counsel, A.O. Agbonlahor, requested that his client remain in EFCC custody pending trial.
In a swift ruling, Justice Nwite ordered Abdullahi’s remand at Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to September 8, 2025, for trial.
What stands out in this case, according to EFCC, is the alleged breach of trust by a professional who used the cover of a major regulatory agency to swindle unsuspecting victims. “This is a clear case of deception masked as a business deal,” the prosecution noted after the court session.
