The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, February
22, 2017 arraigned one Bala Tangalu before
Justice A. B. Mohammed of the Federal
Capital Territory High Court sitting in Jabi,
Abuja on a 2-count charge of conspiracy and
obtaining by false pretence to the tune of
N2.5million.
Tangalu, a self-styled native doctor also known
as Babalawo, was arrested following a petition
by one Dozie Ugonna, who alleged that he was
scammed of over N2.5million by the accused
and his cohorts.
According to the petitioner, the money was
meant for the purchase of materials to
neutralize some harmful charms purportedly
contained in a carton filled with United States
dollars.
The offence is contrary to Section 8 (a) and
punishable under Section 8 (C) and 1 (3) of
the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud
Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006.
Particulars of Count two read:
“Bala Tangalu, Ataye (still at large), Nnamdi
(still at large) Peace (still at large) and Linda
(still at large), in the year 2016 at Abuja within
the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with
intent to defraud obtained the total sum of
N2,540.000 (Two Million, Five Hundred and
Forty Thousand Naira Only) from one Dozie
Ugonna under the pretence that you are a
native doctor a.k.a Babalawo and the monies
were for purchase of materials to neutralize
some harmful charms contained in a carton
filled with United State Dollars, which pretence
you knew to be false”.
The accused person pleaded not guilty to the
charge.
Upon his plea, counsel to EFCC, Elizabeth
Alabi, asked the court to fix a date for trial
and remand the accused in prison custody
pending trial.
She urged the court to consider the weight of
the offence, which according to her carries a
minimum of seven year jail term.
However, counsel to the accused, Yusuf
Abdullahi, told the court he had a pending bail
application before the court. He added that
the accused had been granted administrative
bail by the EFCC which he had not breached
and urged the court to adopt same bail
condition.
Justice Mohammed granted bail to the
accused in the sum of N2million with two
sureties in like sum. The sureties must be a
civil servant or a community leader.
The case has been adjourned to March 20,
2017 for trial.
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