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| Dr. Nekabari Dambere Nathan |
The Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, June 19, 2025 arraigned one Dr. Nekabari
Dambere Nathan, a Port Harcourt-based medical doctor before Justice P. I. Ajoku
of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State for fraud.
Nathan was arraigned alongside his Global Horizons
Academy Ltd on a one-count charge, bordering obtaining by false pretence and
advance fee fraud to the tune of N N39,157,000,00 (Thirty-nine Million, One
Hundred and Fifty-seven Thousand Naira).
The charge reads:
“That you, Dr. Nekabari Dambere Nathan and Global
Horizons Academy Ltd between 8th April, to 12th December 2023 at Port Harcourt
within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did
obtain the sum of Thirty-Nine Million, One Hundred and Fifty-Seven Thousand
Naira (N39,157,000,00 only), from Justice Toojah lyieagbu, the Managing
Director of Riskout Consults, which was meant for processing of visa for his
clients for Canada, Ireland and the United State of America, a pretence you knew
to be false and thereby Committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and
punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related
Offences Act.”
He pleaded "not guilty" to the charge,
following which
prosecution counsel, A. Abubakar prayed the court for
a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in a correctional center,
while defence counsel, Friday Otanjah informed the court of his application for
the bail of the defendant, praying that the defendant be granted bail on
medical grounds to enable him stand his trial.
Justice Ajoku, however, adjourned the matter till June
25, 2025 for the hearing of the bail application and remanded the defendant in
EFCC’s custody. He further adjourned till November 27, 2025 for commencement of
the trial.
Nathan was arrested following allegations by the
petitioner that sometime in February, 2023, the defendant made a false
representation of himself as a professional trainer in care-giving and a travel
agent, capable of securing visas and jobs in Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom
for Nigerian applicants.
The petitioner further alleged that the defendant
approached his company Riskout Consults and convinced his students that he can
facilitate their trip to any country of their choice and help enrol them in
International English Language Testing System, IELTS exam.
The students, the petitioner alleged, transferred money to the tune of N39,157,000,00 (Thirty-nine Million, One Hundred and Fifty-seven Thousand Naira) to the defendant, after which the defendant neither secured the visas nor job placements for the victims. He was further alleged to become incommunicado and frustrated all efforts by the victims to recover their money from him.
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