The Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Usman Mallam, a desk officer in the office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Gombe State.
Mallam faces charges of tearing official investigation letters and obstructing the EFCC’s work.
Mallam appeared before Justice T.G. Ringim of the Federal High Court in Gombe, where he was charged with willful obstruction of investigation activities and tearing official EFCC documents, on Thursday.
The charge reads, “That you, Usman Mallam, on or about the 26th day of February 2024 at Gombe, Gombe State, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, while the officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, were carrying out an investigation activity involving an alleged economic and financial crime, did willfully obstruct the said investigation by tearing the EFCC formal letters of investigation activities dated January 1, 2024, and February 21, 2024, respectively, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 38 (1) and punishable under Section 38 (2) (a) and (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act.”
Upon arraignment, Mallam pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution counsel, A.M. Labaran, requested a trial date, stating, “My Lord, the defendant has put himself to trial hence we shall be asking for a date for trial.”
Defendant’s counsel, S.S. Usman, responded by requesting bail for his client, saying, “My Lord, we have a bail application dated July 11, 2024. We are asking the court to exercise its discretion and grant the defendant bail.”
Justice Ringim granted Mallam bail in the sum of N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) with one surety in the same amount.
The surety must be a director in a government establishment or a private company with a capital worth not less than N10,000,000.
Additionally, the court registrar must verify the surety’s identity, and both the surety and the defendant are required to submit two passport photographs to the court.
Until the bail conditions are met, Justice Ringim ordered that Mallam be held in the Gombe State Correctional Service.
The trial is scheduled to begin on July 9, 2024.
