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The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned an Abuja-based legal
practitioner, Amobi Nzelu, over a three count-charge bordering on
impersonation and criminal misappropriation of the sum of N6. 8 million
before Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Mr. Nzelu, who was
docked on Monday, January 17, will be returning to the court on January
26, 2011, for the determination of his bail application. This
adjournment of the suit followed Mr. Nzelu’s plea of not guilty to the
three count charge necessitating his counsel, E. Ona, to pray the court
to grant his client bail on liberal terms owing to the fact that the
accused person has 31 years’ post call to bar experience.

According to the
commission’s lawyer, Wahab Shittu, who filed a 19-paragraph counter
affidavit opposing the bail application, the availability of the
accused person presenting himself to stand trial is in doubt.

“The state has
deposed to the fact that the suspect, given the amount of money he has
admitted collecting as shown in the proof of evidence and the length of
the punishment for the offence, if convicted and the seriousness of
such offence for which the accused is standing trial, he is prone to
jump bail, if granted,” he said.

Mr. Shittu also
moved against the accused bail application on the ground of ill-health,
saying that “the applicant must show that his state of health needs
special medical attention.”

He, therefore, urged the court to discountenance the application for bail of the accused.

The presiding
judge, Justice Kolawole, however, adjourned the case till January 26,
2011 to determine the issue of bail as canvassed by both counsel.

The dirty deals

The suit filed
against Mr. Nzelu’s arose from a two-page petition dated June 14, 2010,
and sent to the commission’s chairman by the managing director of Range
Multi Universal Limited, Omulu Charles Chimweuba.

The petition
entitled: ‘Petition against Barrister Amobi Nzelu for Impersonation and
fraudulently obtaining the sum of N6. 850 million by false pretences in
the name of the Nigerian Customs Service’, alleged that sometimes in
February 2010, he was introduced to the accused who claimed to be an
agent of the Nigerian Customs, with the understanding that he was in a
position to assist in their business relationship with the Nigeria
Customs Service.

“Thereafter, we
intimated the suspect of our intention to buy/acquire some containers
of goods which he convinced us that he was in a position to help us.
Our negotiations progressed smoothly and he eventually demanded that we
should give him the sum of N6.850 million, being the cost of 2 times 40
ft containers”, Mr. Chimweuba alleged.

According to the
petition, “So far, we have parted with the above sum of money to Amobi
Nzelu but the suspect has not been able to deliver his promise to us
and has refused to return our money. He has continued to sweet tongue
us [sic] with different unbelievable stories.

“He eventually came up with the story that the supposed containers
were no more available for sale, that we should go for and indicate
interest in another item. We then informed him of our interest in
acquiring trucks which he promised at the same cost of N6.850,” he said.