Court indicts Lawyer over Alleged N91m Land Fraud 

Federal High Court sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, has ordered Mike Ikegbunam, a lawyer to deposit his Call to Bar Certificate with the court over a money laundering fraud charges he is involved in to the tune Ninety-One Million Naira.

The lawyer who was arraigned by the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said he was remanded in EFCC Custody pending when he meet his bail condition with seven-count charges bordering on money Laundering and obtaining money by pretence.

He pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to him, and in view of his plea, Counsel to the EFCC, Nuradeen Shehu Ingawa prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded at the Correctional Centre. The defence counsel, A. G. Anyigo prayed the court to admit his client to bail adding that “the defendant is a very responsible personality in the society”.

Responding, Ingawa vehemently opposed the bail application based on the gravity of the offence and urged the court to dismiss the bail application.

In his ruling, Justice Umar granted the defendant bail on self-recognizance being a legal practitioner on the following conditions, adding that, the defendant must deposit his Call to Bar Certificate with the court and make available one surety, who must be his cousin.The defendant was remanded at the EFCC custody pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions, while, the judge adjourned the matter to March 21, 2024 for trial.