The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Alhaji Muhammad Talake over an alleged N3.8 million fraud in Borno State.
Talake was arraigned on Thursday before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri.
The EFCC Maiduguri Zonal Directorate charged him with obtaining by false pretence and criminal misappropriation.
The defendant allegedly obtained N3.8 million from one Muhammad Umar Ali Abatcha under the pretence of selling him a property at Old Government Reservation Area, GRA, Circular Road, Maiduguri.
The property was allegedly presented as one put up for sale by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The charge partly reads: “with intent to defraud obtained the aggregate sum of N3,800,000.00 … under the false pretence that same is meant for the purchase of a property.”
The EFCC said the property, identified as ID: BO: 006, was situated at Old GRA, Circular Road, Maiduguri, Borno State.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the representation was false and that the offence contravened Section 1(1) and is punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Talake pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecution counsel, S.O. Saka, urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility.
Justice Kumaliya adjourned the case until August 10, 2026, for hearing of the defendant’s bail application.
The judge ordered that Talake be remanded at the Maiduguri Maximum Correctional Facility.
