Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria’s anti-graft agency has secured the conviction and sentencing of the Chief Executive Officer, Orio Business Connect Limited, Kabiru Haruna, before Justice H. Mu’azu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja.
This was disclosed in a statement posted on the official X handle of the EFCC on Tuesday, Oct. 10.
According to the statement, the convict was first arraigned by the EFCC on December 14, 2021, on eight-count charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence to the tune of thirty-three million, seven hundred and five thousand naira.
One Dr. Oby Joyce and Clement Anuwa had approached the EFCC, narrating how the convict defrauded them with the pretence of securing three plots of land for them at Plot 527 Cadastral Zone B00, Kukwauba District, Abuja. He neither delivered the landed property to them nor returned their money to them.
One of the charges read, “You, Alhaji Kabiru Haruna, being the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orio Business Connect Limited and you, Orio Business Connect Limited, on or about the 6th day of May 2017 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of six million, nine hundred thousand naira from Mr and Mrs Clement Anunwa as part payment for three plots of land at plot 527 Cadastral Zone B00, Kukwauba Distract, Abuja which land you represented to them was allotted by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory which presentation you knew is false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences ACT 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.”
In his judgment, Justice Mu’azu found Haruna guilty, convicted him, and sentenced him to seven years of imprisonment.
The court also ruled that Haruna and Orio Business Connect Limited should jointly pay the nominal complainant the sum of thirty-three million seven hundred and five thousand naira, being the proceeds of the crime.
