Photo: EFCC Nabs Reps Member for Defrauding Four People of N173m

The love of money is the root of all evil! A member of the House of Reps representing Bauchi Constituency, Hon. Aliyu Gebi has been arrested by the EFCC over issues relating to "the love of money". The lawmaker who was invited for questioning was immediate detained as he arrived EFCC office in Abuja.

Hon. Gebi is facing multiple cases of fraud to the tune of N173million.
According to reports, Hon. Gebi obtained N60 million as loan from one Chinedu Iloabachie ostensibly to pursue his political aspirations with a
promise to return the money to his benefactor as soon as he was elected a lawmaker. After his election, the lawmaker failed to fulfil his promise to refund the money. Six different cheques he issued to Iloabachie were returned unpaid, owing to insufficient fund in his account.

The same story with Efab, a property developer who borrowed him N47million to further his political ambition. All the cheques issued by Gebi as payment for the loan were returned unpaid. 

Gebi, also allegedly obtained N16 million from Senator Ahmed Zanah under the pretext of helping him to buy the foreign exchange equivalent from the Central Bank of Nigeria at official rate. He neither bought the forex nor refund the money to the senator.

 The House of Reps member equally converted a sum of N50million obtained from one Aliyu Habeeb to own use. Habeeb allegedly paid the money as deposit for a house he wanted to buy from Gebi. He neither got the house nor has the lawmaker agreed to refund his deposit.
He allegedly obtained the amount from the four different wealthy individuals with false pretenses.

Consequently, he was arraigned before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on a 13-count charge of issuing dud cheques worth over 125 million Naira to one Usman Mustapha.

The charge reads: “That you, Hon. Aliyu Gebi, being the owner and sole signatory of Craft Technology Ltd and Craft Technology Ltd on or about the 12/01/2012 at Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did obtain credit by issuing a UBA Plc cheque No. 00091852 in the sum of N10,000.000.00 (Ten Million naira) only in favour of Musty Petroleum Ltd. which when presented within three months was dishonored on the ground that there was insufficient fund in the account and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1 (b) (I) of the dishonored cheque (offences) Act, 2004 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.”

Representative Gebi pleaded not guilty to all the charges. His defense counsel then pleaded with the court to admit the accused person to bail as he was already on EFCC administrative bail. He further told the court that apart from the fact that the offence was bailable, the accused person presented himself to the Commission for interrogation. The EFCC counsel did not oppose the application.

Justice Abba Mohammed granted the accused person bail on self-recognition and ordered that he deposit his international passport with the EFCC and to report to the Commission whenever he is needed.