The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Paulinus Ani before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court, located in Independence Layout, Enugu State.
Ani faces a one-count charge brought by the EFCC, accusing him of obtaining N8,130,000 (eight million, one hundred and thirty thousand naira) under false pretence.
The lone count charge reads: “That you, Paulinus Ani sometime between October 2015 and June 2018 at Enugu, Enugu State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, with intent to defraud, induced one Severus Ifeanyi Odoziobodo to deliver to you the sum of N8,130,000.00 (Eight Million, One Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira) under the pretence that you would sell to him (7) plots of land.
“Three (3) plots at Emene Industrial/Residential Layout and four (4) plots at Independence Layout Phase II, Enugu, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of the 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
Ani pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were presented to him. In light of this, defence counsel O. S. Imaji informed the court of a pending bail application.
He subsequently moved the application, requesting that the court grant bail to the defendant on liberal terms, stating that Ani had a reliable surety.
In response, the prosecution strongly opposed the bail application, citing the increasing prevalence of land scams in Enugu and urging the court to deny the request.
After considering both arguments, the court granted the defendant bail in the amount of N10 million, requiring two sureties of the same sum who must be residents of Enugu State.
Justice Umar remanded the defendant at the Enugu Correctional Facility until the bail conditions were met and adjourned the case to January 23, 2025, for trial.
The legal troubles for the defendant began on January 1, 2021, when the Commission received a petition from Ifeanyi Odoziobodo.
Odoziobodo alleged that in 2016, the defendant, who was purportedly an employee of the Ministry of Land and Urban Development in Enugu State, offered him several plots of land in Emene and Independence Layout for allocation to prospective buyers.
After reviewing the allocation papers, Odoziobodo paid N8,130,000.00 to the defendant, unaware that the plots had already been sold to other individuals who had received Certificates of Occupancy. Attempts by Odoziobodo to recover his money were unsuccessful.
