Photos: EFCC arraigns former Adamawa Commissioner for N20m Land Fraud

A former Adamawa State Commissioner for Finance and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, John Elias, was yesterday October 22nd arraigned before Justice B.B Aliyu of Federal High Court Yola, Adamawa State over a N20 million fraud. A statement from EFCC states that Elias allegedly sold and appropriated some properties, which are under interim forfeiture to the Federal Government.

An evaluation exercise conducted by the EFCC on the forfeited properties revealed that Elias sold a landed property situated at Galadima Aminu Way, Yola to one Hamid Yusuf for N20,000,000.00( Twenty Million Naira) through his agent, Jibril Mairiga. He also allegedly gave another property on Atiku Abubakar Way, Yola, Adamawa State,to his brother, Dr. Joel Yohanna, for use as a private hospital.

The former Commissioner is also alleged to have coerced the tenants in another property to be paying their rents to Al-Akim Investment Limited without authorization by the EFCC.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Al-kim Investment Nigeria Limited and John Babani Elias (M), sometimes in February, 2011 at Jimeta-Yola, Adamawa State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court and without due authorization by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission dealt with, having put tenants and collecting rents in and over the property known as four unit houses behind First Bank of Nigeria Plc. Jimeta, Yola and which property is a subject of an interim order of forfeiture issued on the 13th day of December, 2005 by the Federal High Court, Lagos in charge No. FHC/L/CS/1258/2005, contrary to and punishable under section 32(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004”.

He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. The presiding judge, Justice Aliyu granted Elias bail in the sum of N5million with a surety in like sum and fixed December 15, 2015 for trial.