The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dragged an alleged land racketeering kingpin, Moses Erih and a company, Micmerab Resources Nigeria Limited, before Justice Baba Shaini of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja, for conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences and forgery.

 
The offences, according to the prosecutor, Richard Dauda, are 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 offences also contravened section 363; 366 and 368 of the Penal Code Act Cap, 532 LFN (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under section 364 of the same law. The prosecutor said Erih and Micmerab Resources Nigeria Limited were culpable of obtaining money by false pretences.
  
However, the arraignment was stalled following the absence of the defendants’ counsel, and the matter was adjourned to October 5, 2023. Speaking after the court session, counsel to the nominal complainant, Remy Agu, said the matter was aimed at checkmating others involved in land racketeering.
  
He enjoined all stakeholders to have a common synergy to fight the monster called land racketeering in the FCT. Some counts in the charge marked CR/163/2023, read:
“That you, Moses Erih, while being a Director in Mecmerab Resources Nigeria Limited and Mecmerab Resources Nigeria Limited, a company registered in Nigeria, sometime in September 2007, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this court, with intent to defraud, did obtain by false pretence, a property situated at Plot 22, Sabon Lugbe East Layout, through a document captioned, ‘Estate development agreement between messrs Uche Okoronkwo, Obi Okoronkwo Company Limited and Mcmerab Resources Nigeria Limited,’ and dated September 13, 2007, which you knew to be false, 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.
  
“That you, Moses Erih and Mecmeras Resources Nigeria Limited, sometime in September, 2007, forged a document, with intent to make Uche and Obi Okoronkwo part with their property thereby committed an offence contrary to section 363 of the Penal Code Act Cap, 532 LFN (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under section 364 of the same law.”