EFCC arraigns four for forgery, impersonation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought four individuals to court on charges of forgery and impersonation. This announcement was made in a statement on X.com on Friday.

According to the statement, Solomon Yohanna, Shedrach Naphtali, Hassan Mohammed, and Abdullahi Abubakar were presented before Justice Hammed Isha for allegedly impersonating the EFCC and forging documents to deceive unsuspecting Nigerians.

They face nine counts related to forgery, aiding in criminal activities, and impersonation, as filed by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC. One of the charges specifies that between 2023 and 2024, in Yola, Adamawa State, the accused forged the EFCC’s signature on several documents, including an Authority Letter and Investigation Approval letters, to falsely claim that Yohanna was an EFCC employee assigned to audit local government projects.

During the proceedings, Solomon Yohanna reportedly pleaded guilty, leading to his remand at the Yola Correctional Centre in Adamawa State. The statement indicated that upon arraignment on October 15, 2024, Yohanna accepted the charges, while the other defendants maintained their innocence.

Following Yohanna’s guilty plea, the prosecution, represented by Saad H. Saad, requested to present witnesses to establish the case’s facts. However, the defense attorney, C. Karamuel, stated he was unprepared to present witnesses.

Justice Isha granted bail to the other three defendants, setting the amount at N5 million each, contingent on providing one surety. The case has been adjourned until November 15, 2024, for further trial and fact review. The judge instructed that the sureties must reside in Yola, be family men, and submit identification documents and bail bonds.

Yohanna remains in custody at the Yola Correctional Centre, with the next court date set for the trial and review of facts.