Orio Business Connect MD Jailed Seven Years For N33M Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on October 4, 2023, secured the conviction and sentencing of the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Orio Business Connect Limited, Alhaji Kabiru Haruna before Justice H. Mu’azu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja.

The convict was first arraigned by the EFCC on December 14, 2021, on eight-count charges bordering on obtaining by false pretense to the tune of Thirty-Three Million Seven Hundred and Five Thousand Naira (N33,705,000).

One of the Count Charges reads: “You Alhaji Kabiru Haruna, being the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Orio Business Connect Limited and you Orio Business Connect Limited on or about the 6th day of May 2017 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Six Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N6,900,000) from Mr and Mrs Clement Anunwa as part payment for three plots of land at plot 527 Cadastral Zone B00, Kukwauba Distract, Abuja which land you represented to them was allotted by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory which presentation you knew is false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences ACT 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.

He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. The matter thereafter went into full trial. Prosecution counsel, Samuel Ugwuegbulam, called many witnesses and tendered several documents before the court.

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In his judgment, Justice Mu’azu found Haruna guilty, convicted and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment. The court also ruled that Haruna and Orio Business Connect Limited should jointly pay the nominal complainant the sum of Thirty-Three Million Seven Hundred and Five Thousand (N33,705,000) being proceeds of the crime.

The convict started his journey to the Correctional Centre when two petitioners:  Dr. Oby Joyce and Chief Clement Anuwa approached the EFCC narrating how the convict defrauded them with the pretence of securing three plots of land for them at Plot 527 Cadastral Zone B00, Kukwauba District, Abuja. He neither delivered the landed property to them nor returned their money to them.