The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned a former National Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) at the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed, alongside Prince Chibuike Echem, over an alleged ₦2.28 billion fraud.
The defendants were brought before Justice K. N. Ogbonnaya of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Zuba, Abuja, on a 54-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, and forgery. A third defendant, Aminu Alhaji, is currently at large.
According to the EFCC, the alleged offences were committed between May 2022 and February 2024 and involved the fraudulent collection of funds from a contractor under the guise of awarding and executing contracts linked to the NEDC’s Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery and Stability Programme.
At the commencement of proceedings, prosecution counsel Adeola Olarenwaju informed the court that the original charge filed on December 3, 2025, had been amended. He sought leave of the court to substitute it with a 54-count amended charge dated January 22, 2026, relying on the accompanying proof of evidence. The application was granted.
Prosecutors allege that Mohammed conspired with Echem and Aminu Alhaji to defraud Diamond Leeds Limited and its Managing Director, Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu, of over ₦2.28 billion by falsely claiming they had the authority to award and execute NEDC contracts.
One of the counts further alleges that between January and December 2023, the defendants fraudulently obtained ₦573.5 million from the complainant through a Wema Bank account belonging to Echem, based on the same alleged false representations.
The offences are said to contravene provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
When the charges were read, Mohammed and Echem pleaded not guilty to all counts, while Aminu Alhaji was noted as being at large.
Following the pleas, the prosecution asked the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendants in custody. Defence counsel, however, informed the court that applications for bail had been filed on behalf of the accused.
The prosecution opposed an immediate hearing of the bail applications, stating that they had only been served shortly before the proceedings and required time to respond.
In his ruling, Justice Ogbonnaya held that the prosecution should be allowed sufficient time to reply in the interest of justice and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre pending trial.
The case was adjourned to March 25, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
