The Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, July 23, 2026 arraigned one Alhaji Muhammad Talake before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri.
The defendant was arraigned on a two- count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and criminal misappropriation to the tune of N3,800,000.00 (Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
Count one reads: “That you, Alhaji Muhammad Talake, on or about March, 2025 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of the honourable court, with intent to defraud obtained the aggregate sum of N3,800,000.00 (Three Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Muhammad Umar Ali Abatcha, under the false pretence that same is meant for the purchase of a property; ID:BO: 006, situated and laying at Old GRA, circular road, Maiduguri, Borno State, purportedly being a property put up for sale by the Federal Government of Nigeria, a representation which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
Counsel to the prosecution, S.O Saka prayed for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in a Correctional facility.
Justice Kumaliya thereafter adjourned the matter till August 10, 2026 for hearing of bail application and ordered the remand of the defendant in Maiduguri maximum correctional facility.
The defendant’s journey to the Correctional facility started when he purportedly obtained the sum of N3.8m from a petitioner for the purchase of a property situated at Old Government Reservation Area, GRA, circular road, Maiduguri, Borno State, purportedly being a property put up for sale by the Federal Government of Nigeria, a representation which was false.
