EFCC arraigns man for N13.65m land fraud in Maiduguri

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Gambo Mohammed (also known as Modu Gambo) before Justice Babagana Shettima of the Borno State High Court in Maiduguri on four counts of money laundering and criminal misappropriation totaling N13,650,000.

According to an EFCC statement on Wednesday, the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate said the charges stem from allegations that Mohammed, “sometime in 2025, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N13,650,000.00 from one Umar Abubakar, purportedly as purchase price for two plots of land situated at Dubai Musari Ward opposite Maimalari Barrack of Jere Local Government, Borno State, which you knew to be false.”

Count one of the charge sheet cites the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, alleging that the defendant’s actions violated Section 1(a) and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the law.
The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

Prosecution counsel A.D. Abdulmalik asked the court to fix a trial date and urged that the defendant be remanded in custody.

Justice Shettima adjourned the matter to July 13, 2026 for a pre-trial conference and ordered that Mohammed be remanded at the Maiduguri Maximum Correctional Facility.

EFCC said the case arose after the defendant allegedly collected N13,650,000 for the purported purchase of two plots opposite Maimalari Barrack in Jere Local Government and diverted the funds for his personal use.