The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned a former National Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) of the North East Development Commission, Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed, over an alleged ₦2.28 billion fraud.
Mohammed was arraigned alongside Prince Chibuike Echem and Aminu Alhaji, who is currently at large, before Justice K. N. Ogbonnaya of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Zuba on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. The defendants are facing a 54-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, and forgery.
At the proceedings, prosecution counsel, Adeola Olanrewaju, informed the court that an initial charge filed on December 3, 2025 had been amended and sought the court’s permission to substitute it with the revised 54-count charge dated January 22, 2026. The court granted the application.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired between May 2022 and February 2024 in Abuja to fraudulently obtain a total of ₦2.28 billion from Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu, Managing Director of Diamond Leeds Limited. The alleged offences are said to contravene provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
One of the counts alleges that the defendants falsely represented that they had the capacity to award contracts under the North East Recovery and Stabilisation Programme (NERSP) of the NEDC, thereby inducing the complainant to part with the funds. Another count accuses them of obtaining ₦573.5 million in 2023 through a bank account linked to one of the defendants under similar pretences.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following their plea, the prosecution requested a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendants pending trial. Defence counsel, however, informed the court that a bail application had been filed on behalf of the defendants.
In response, the prosecution said it had only just been served with the bail application and requested time to file a counter-affidavit in opposition. Ruling on the application, the judge granted the prosecution’s request and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.
The case was adjourned to March 25, 2026 for trial.
