EFCC Arraigns Woman, Herbalist Over Alleged N24.3m Land Scam

A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, presided over by Justice Chigozie Onah, has fixed November 1, 2024, for bail trial and bail hearing in a matter involving a woman, Josephine Anietie Philip, allegedly involved in land racketeering alongside a native doctor, one Effiong Okon, accused of facilitating her fraudulent activities and benefited financially from it.

LEADERSHIP recalls that the defendants, Philip and Okon were arraigned on Friday, September 27, 2024, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence the sum of N24.3 million.
One of the charges against them reads, “That you, Josephine Anietie Philip, sometime in February 2024 in

Uyo, Akwa Ibom State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently obtained the sum of N16, 300, million from one Ndifreke Godwin Friday under false pretence of selling a piece of land situated at No.3 Owok Ekong Lane, Mbiabong Anyanya, Etoi, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, a pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section i (3) of the same Act.”

Another count reads, “That you, Ime Effiong, between February 2024 and April 2024 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court used the aggregate sum of N6, 501, 000 million through Account No. 3141617618 domiciled in First Bank and operated by Eno Ime Effiong, which money you reasonably ought to know formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit, obtaining by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the money laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act) 2022, and punishable under section 18(3) of the same Act.”

While pleading, the duo pleaded not guilty to the six-count charges. Given their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, prayed the court to remand the accused persons at the Nigerian Correctional Centre (NCC) and fix a date for trial to enable the prosecution to present witnesses to prove the case against the accused persons.

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But the defence lawyer, C. I. Odo, quickly made an oral application for bail.
After listening to both counsels, Justice Onah upheld the position of the prosecution and ordered that the accused persons be remanded at the NCC, Uyo, even as the defence counsel was instructed by the court to make a formal bail application for hearing on November 1, 2024.
The commission prosecuted the accused persons for allegedly collecting the sums of N16, 300 000 million and N8 million from two different buyers for the same piece of land measuring approximately 932 square meters located at No.3 Owak Ekong Lane, Mbiabong Anyanya, Etoi Uyo Akwa Ibom State.

However, none of the victims were allowed to take possession of the land.