By Nnamdi Felix
Magistrate Oyeyipo of an Abuja Magistrates’ Court’s siting at Karu has fixed 25 Friday July, for the trial of a Federal High Court bailiff, Idris Mahmud and Danladi Adamu said to be an ally of former Director of Pensions Office at the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Sani Teidi Shuaibu.
Teidi, alongside his companies, Riba-Ile Petroleum Limited, is standing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged embezzlement of over N20 billion pension funds while at the helm of affairs at the Pension Office.
Idris Mahmud, according to the first investigation report submitted before the magistrates’ court by the Nigerian Police, was alleged to have conspired with Danladi Adamu, to commit forgery, an act said to be contrary to section 364 of the penal code law.
Trouble started for them following the bail granted by a federal high court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, to Dr. Sani Teidi Shuaibu who is standing trial for alleged embezzlement of pension funds.
The bail sum was for N500 million with two sureties in like sum. The sureties are also expected to be resident in Abuja who must own landed properties anywhere within Abuja and which properties must worth the bail sum and they are also to possess valid tax clearance certificate.
The title deeds of the properties were also to be verified by the deputy chief registrar of the court before retaining copies.
Teidi’s sureties in an attempt to fulfill the conditions attached to his bail provided documents purporting to be title deeds for a property whose value is equal to the bail sum of N500 million.
In compliance with the directives of Justice Adeniyi Ademola, the deputy chief registrar of the federal high court wrote two letters for verification of the certificate of occupancy submitted by Teidi’s sureties issued in favour of Engineer Attah Ossian Ahaba in respect o f plot number 24, Block V, federal government layout, Gwarimpa, Abuja, and certificate of occupancy dated 11 August, 2003 issued in favour of Onum Ofitu, in respect of plot number 18, feudal government layout, Gwarimpa, Abuja.
Idris Mahmood, as a bailiff of the court, was handed the letters to deliver to the Federal Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development for the required certification.
Idris later returned to the deputy chief registrar of the Federal High Court documents purported to have emanated from the ministry indicating that the certificate of occupancies had been verified and confirmed to be genuine.
He also deposed to an affidavit wherein he categorically stated that he went to the said properties for physical verification as part of the verification procedure.
Luck however ran out on the court bailiff following revelations that the purported verification letters from the housing ministry were forged, including the valuation report of the estate surveyor purporting the properties to be valued at N500 million.
Idris confessed to the crime before a disciplinary committee of the federal high court and implicated Teidi’s relative, Danladi Adamu, whom he alleged to have procured the forged documents.
Following the bungled bail terms, Teidi has remained in detention at the Kuje Prisons since last July when he was re-arraigned before Justice Adeniyi’s court.
He was first arraigned alongside Mrs Phina Ukamaka Chidi, his erstwhile deputy at the Pensions Office in 2011 before Justice Adamu Bello before the judge retired.
Following Justice Adamu Bello’s retirement, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, under a case management process, amended the charge and split the accused persons and companies for better management of the multiple pension cases it was handling.
Thereafter, a new charge involving Dr. Teidi, Omoefe Eric Udusegbe and nine companies were transferred to Justice Adeniyi’s court by the chief judge of the federal high court.
Source PM News
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