Son of Abuja Big Man Nabbed In PHC, Sent To Prisons Over N15m Forex Racket, Forgeries, 419 Deals

An Abuja based big boy who goes by the name Salihu Nasiru Ibrahim, the son of Dr. Nasiru Ibrahim, a director at the National Biotechnology Son of Abuja big boy nabbed in PH over N15m forex racket as battle for bail rages
The 23 years A twenty old dark-complexioned man has been nabbed by the police in Port Harcourt in a racket involving N15m for procurement of US Dollars in a foreign exchange deal gone sour.
Pressure is also said to mount on the police and all those involved to get the accused person out of detention and off the case.
The accused, who gave his name as Salihu Nasiru Ibrahim, being the son of a Director at the National Agricultural Biotechnology Development Agency in Abuja used his fathers name and position as guarantor, of re-payment is now standing trial at the Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate Court 10 presided over by A.O Amadi-Nna where battle for bail is raging.
According to a charge sheet made available to newsmen, Ibrahim is accused of obtaining the sum of N15m from one Grace Ogolo to help her change it at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to Dollars at government rate, but did not change it and did not return the money since July 2022.
The charge sheet prepared by a Superintendent of Police (SP), Sewari Alpheaus, said the offence contravened Section 1 (b,c) and is punishable under Section 1 (2,3) of the Advance Fee Fraud Laws of the Federation 2006.
Count Two alleged that Ibrahim forged Police Identity Card to be regarded as a police officer. The prosecution said other forgeries would be unveiled as the case would progress.
When the case was called up on Monday, January 16, 2023, for bail, the defence team led by Leticia Mukoro, quoted Section 18 of Magistrate Court Law of 2004 which she said empowered the court to grant bail to the accused.
Mukoro said the Supreme Court position was that as long as the case did not have capital punishment, bail could be granted by the Chief Magistrate.
She mentioned that there was an existing relationship between the defendant and complainant who she said knew that Ibrahim was not a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) or Bureau De Change (BDC) to expect him to change money into foreign exchange. She also said settlement of the case was underway, and that the accused was a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) who should be allowed to go out and serve his fatherland.
The prosecutor however immediately opposed the bail plea.
Supporting the opposition for bail, Benjamin Awuse, the oversight counsel for the complainant, said the statement by the accused had admitted committing the listed offences.
He said further particulars of the charge indicated that serious felony was committed by forging police identity and forging a university degree with which Ibrahim wants to serve in the NYSC.
The counsel told the court that the accused may not come back to the court because of other things to be revealed when trial commences.
Above all, he said, the court did not have jurisdiction to grant bail.
On hope for settlement, he said the parties were not discussing such a thing.
In an interview outside the court, Awuse told court reporters that calls placed by the victim to the father of the accused, Dr Nasiru Ibrahim; Director: National Agriculture Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja, were ignored and that calls to his mother also were not accepted.
The counsel said there was no basis to think of granting bail in the prevailing circumstances. “The particulars of the offence do not support bail, eg, he is suspected to have impersonated the police by allegedly forging an identity card of the police. Under a felony, you do not say you have settled with the victim of your actions.
“There is suspected forgery of a university degree (as part of particulars of the accusations against him). He is likely operating with others and is likely to abscond to faraway countries. The NYSC papers arising from the allegedly forged university degree are therefore not acceptable because you cannot put something on nothing.”
The Chief Magistrate thus fixed January 23, 2023, for ruling on bail application.
Ends/Development Agency has been nabbed by the police in Porthacourt in a racket involving N15.4 for procurement of US Dollars in a foreign exchange deal gone sour”