Witnesses within the trial of Kassam Kopte and Yakubu Zwalnan, former Chairman and Secretary, College of Jos’ Non-Educational Workers Union of Training and Related Establishment, on Wednesday, have narrated earlier than Justice S.P Gang of the Plateau State Excessive Court docket sitting in Jos, how they allegedly lured union members into fraudulent land offers and defrauded them of their life financial savings within the course of.
Kopte and Zwalnan are being prosecuted by the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee, EFCC, on three-count fees bordering on prison breach of belief and conspiracy to defraud union members to the tune of N178,583,560.36.
This was made identified in a publish on EFCC’s X deal with on Thursday.
The fee advised the court docket that the alleged offence contravenes Part 97 of the Penal Code Legal guidelines of Plateau State, and punishable underneath the identical Regulation.
The Second Prosecution Witness, PW2, Dabup Luka Jacob, a lecturer within the College of Jos, advised the court docket that he misplaced N448,200 to the 2 defendants, being the entire price of two plots of land he selected to purchase.
Whereas in his personal testimony, Third Prosecution Witness, PW3, James Wazhi Jangfa, narrated that he misplaced a complete of N896,400 to the 2 defendants, being the entire price of 5 plots of land he was deceived into shopping for by the duo.
“My Lord, I subscribed for 5 plots of land. I paid for 3 whereas the opposite two had been to be deducted from my wage. Three plots of lands had been proven to me and I accepted, whereas I used to be proven one other two in a valley which I rejected. Of the entire lands, my Lord, none has a doc to again it up even after we paid for land title charges and different formalities. So technically, my Lord, I can’t declare any of the land as a result of it has no paper doc to again them up,”he mentioned.
Earlier on Tuesday, the primary Prosecution Witness, PW1,Bitrus Ayuba, had advised the court docket that he misplaced N448,000 to the 2 defendants within the fraudulent land buy.
“As at the moment my Lord, in one among our conferences, they marketed plots of land to us, stating that every one individuals ought to point out his or her curiosity and that she or he would get it. We requested them the value of a plot of land and so they advised us it was N170,000 (One Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira). I then confirmed curiosity and paid the sum of N340,000 (Three Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) for 2 plots of land. After some time, they advised us once more to pay the sum of N54,000 (Fifty-four Thousand Naira) for land title paperwork and I paid for the 2 plots I paid for earlier,” he acknowledged.
All of the proof of funds made by the witnesses had been admitted displays in court docket by Justice Gang after scaling stiff objections from D.G Dashe and I.P Gyang, counsels to the primary and second defendants, respectively.
The decide adjourned the matter until Might 14 and 15, 2024 for continuation of trial.
