The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Paulinus Ani before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar at the Federal High Court, Independence Layout, Enugu State, over an alleged land fraud amounting to N8,130,000.
In a statement shared by the EFCC on Monday via its X (formerly Twitter) account, Ani faces a one-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence. According to the charge, Ani, between October 2015 and June 2018, allegedly induced Severus Ifeanyi Odoziobodo to part with N8,130,000 under the pretext of selling seven plots of land in Enugu. The EFCC stated that Ani was aware the claim was false, constituting a violation of Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006, punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
Ani pleaded not guilty when the charge was read in court.
Following the plea, EFCC counsel Nasir Umar requested a trial date and asked that Ani be remanded in the Enugu Correctional Facility. However, Ani’s defense counsel, O. S. Imaji, sought bail, urging the court to grant it on liberal terms, citing the defendant’s reliable surety.
Opposing the bail request, Umar expressed concerns over the growing trend of land-related fraud in Enugu, calling for stricter measures to curb the practice. He urged the court to deny bail to Ani.
After hearing both sides, Justice Umar granted Ani bail with stringent conditions, including a N10 million bond and two sureties of the same amount, who must reside in Enugu State. Until the bail conditions are met, Ani remains remanded in the Enugu Correctional Facility. The court set the trial date for January 23, 2025.
The case originated from a petition filed with the EFCC on January 1, 2021, by Odoziobodo, who alleged that in 2016, Ani, posing as a staff member of the Enugu State Ministry of Land and Urban Development, offered him plots of land in Emene and Independence Layout for sale. After Odoziobodo paid the N8,130,000 and was shown allocation documents, he later discovered that the plots had already been sold to others with valid Certificates of Occupancy. Ani’s failure to refund the money led Odoziobodo to involve the EFCC.
The case underscores the growing concern over land fraud in Enugu State, as authorities continue efforts to address the issue.
