The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 arraigned
one Vincent Bulus Venman before Justice A. O Adeniyi of the FCT High Court, Apo
on a 6 count charge bordering on impersonation and obtaining money under false
pretence.
The suspect was
alleged to have been parading himself as Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun, former
governor of Plateau State and in that capacity defrauded his victim of several
millions of naira on the pretence of assisting him to get a ministerial
appointment.
One of the charges
reads; 'That you, VINCENT BULUS VENMAN that on or about 7th day of May, 2013 in
Abuja within the Jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital
Territory, did with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N1,000,000.00 (One
million naira) from one Bukar Abba through Account No: 3067756581 domiciled at
First Bank of Nigeria Plc in the name of Venman Vincent Bulus under the false
pretence that you are Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun, former governor of Plateau
State and that the said sum will be used to facilitate his nomination and
appointment as a Minister by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which you knew is
false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of the
Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3)
of the same Act'.
The accused pleaded
not guilty to the charges.
Counsel to EFCC,
Takon. N Ndifon urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody while
asking for a date to open the case. Reacting, counsel to the accused , Ify
Ikeatuegwu through a formal application prayed the court to admit her client to
bail assuring that the accused is prepared to make himself available for trial.
However, the
prosecution counsel objected on the ground that he was served with the motion
just this morning and urged the court to give him time to equally respond to
the application formally.
Justice Adeniyi
after listening to both counsel ordered that the accused be remanded in EFCC
custody and adjourned the matter to September 30, 2013 for hearing of the bail
application.
The suspect was
arrested following a complaint by Bukar Abba, Acting Director, Account, EFCC.
The complainant stated that sometime in April, 2013, he received a telephone
call from someone claiming to be Ambassador Fidelis Tapgun, former governor of
Plateau State and a close ally of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He said
the caller addressed him as Senator Bukkar Abba Ibrahim but he told him he was
not the one and that they only share a common name.
The complainant
further stated that, the suspect in the same way contacted the real Ambassador
Fidelis Tapgun and other prominent citizens of this country including Senator
Ahmed Sani Yerima, Reuben Abati (S.A Media to the President), Governor Aliyu
Magatakarda Wamako of Sokoto State,Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger
State and Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State before the law caught up with
him .
Investigation by
operatives of the Commission revealed that the accused had already defrauded
Senator Bukar Abba to the tune of N5million (Five Million Naira.)
