BY SONI DANIEL
ABUJA — Son of former Kogi State Governor, Mustapha Audu, was yesterday remained in Kuje Prisons on the orders of Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, for allegedly obtaining N18 million under false pretence.

Mustapha was charged along with his wife, Zahrah, and their company, Constructor Guild Ltd, under the guise of assisting her to get a four bedroom apartment at the Ruskin Terrace in Katamkpe Extension, Abuja.

Mustapha will remain in the prison until his bail application is heard tomorrow while his wife, who had earlier been arraigned, was allowed to go home on subsisting administrative bail.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had dragged the couple before the judge and slammed them with a three-count charge on conspiracy, falsehood and fraud.

One of the charges against the accused persons read, “That you Mustapha Audu, Zahra M. Audu in your capacity as directors of Constructors Guild Ltd on or about the January 7, 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court obtained the sum of N3 million from one Nike Kolawole under the pretence of helping her to get a four-bedroom town house at Ruskin Terrace situated at Katampe Extension Abuja which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3)of the same act.”

The accused persons, however pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge.

Following their plea, their counsel, Kingsley Akpokona moved a motion for bail on behalf of his clients, but was opposed by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Samuel Ugwuegbulam who prayed the court for time to respond to the application.

While consenting to the prosecution’s request for time to respond to the application for bail, Justice Umar remanded Mustapha Audu in Kuje Prison but allowed the second accused person, Zahrah M. Audu to continue to enjoy the administrative bail earlier granted her.

The case has been adjourned to tomorrow, February 28, 2013 for hearing of the bail application.