The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Office
on Monday, March 23, 2020 arraigned one Alhaji Modu Ali Kotoko on a
two-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, obtaining by
false pretence and cheating before Justice Mohammed Tukur of the Kaduna
State High Court.
Kotoko’s journey to the dock began when the Kaduna office of the
Commission received a petition from one Abdullahi Mohammed Wuroji,
Magaging Director, Waram Nigeria Limited, a Limited Liability Company in
Kaduna.
The complainant alleged that in 2018, the defendant met him and
introduced himself as an aide to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (a former
Nigerian Vice President) and lured him to give him 13 brand new cars,
shoes and clothes worth N65,680,000 (Sixty-five Million, Six Hundred and
Eighty Thousand Naira) and N34,800,000 (Thirty-four Million, Eight
Hundred Thousand Naira) under pretence that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
requested for the cars and money to prosecute his 2019 Presidential
election.
The complainant further alleged that upon believing the defendant, he
decided to release the 13 brand new cars and goods all worth
N100,480,000. However, the defendant bolted away and failed to pay.
It was later revealed that Atiku never requested for any cars or goods
from Kotoko.
Count one reads: “That you, Alhaji Modu Kotoko, Managing Director of
Absanajq Nigeria Limited, sometime in 2018, in Kaduna within the
judicial Division of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud,
obtained property to wit: 13 brand of cars, shoes and clothes worth the
total sum of N65,680,000.00 (Sixty-five million, six hundred and eighty
thousand naira) only from Abdullahi Mohammed Wuroji under false pretence
that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON requested same to finance his 2019
Presidential General Election, a pretence you knew to be false and you
thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance
Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offence Act, 2006 and punishable under
Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.
Counsel for the EFCC, Y.J. Matiyak, thereafter, asked the court to fix a
date for commencement of trial, and prayed that the defendant be
remanded in the custody of Nigeria Correctional Service.
Counsel for the defendant, Sule Shuaibu, however pleaded with the court
to grant his client bail to enable him prepare for his trial. But
Matiyak opposed the bail application basing his argument on the
magnitude of the offence.
Justice Tukur has adjourned until Wednesday, March 25, 2020 for ruling
of bail application.