A 64-year-old businessman, Nurudeen Gazali of Ita Ogunbo Area, off Muyideen College, Kulende Area, Ilorin, Kwara State, has been arraigned before an Ilorin Magistrate Court over an alleged N1.8m Hajj fee fraud.

The accused was arraigned on a three-count charge of criminal intimidation, cheating and defamation, contrary to Sections 397, 322 and 392 of Penal Code Law.

The long arm of the law caught up with the accused following a petition on November 11 to the police, Kwara State Command, Ilorin, by Alhaji Abdulrasaq Mohammed defraud him.

According to the complainant, in the first week of September, 2015 the accused came to him with three passports that he (accused) want to prepare a travelling visa to Saudi Arabia for 2015 Hajj operation in which they agreed on N500,000 each.

The complainant stated further that after he prepared the visas, the accused did not pay him cash rather he issued a post dated cheque of N1.5m due for cash on November 16.

The complainant alleged further that the accused deceived him to pay a sum of N350,000 for his (accused) fare to Saudi Arabi, and he promised to refund a total sum of N1,850,000 immediately on arrival at Saudi Arabia. At Saudi Arabia, the accused allegedly promised again to pay the said money when they returned to Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the complainant had alleged that when he demanded for his money on returned to Nigeria, the accused threatened him that if he wanted to survive and witness the next Hajj exercise he should return the postdated cheque back to him (accused).

The complainant stated further that the accused went ahead to tell people that he paid the money to him but refused to prepare theirs as a result of which they cannot perform 2015 Hajj exercise and those three people started to abusing him, calling him all sort of names.

Police First Information Report (FIR) stated that investigation conducted at the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Ilorin, revealed that the accused collected three visas valued at N1.5m and issued a postdated cheque which does not materialized.

The prosecutor, Sergeant Johnson Adewumi informed the court that investigation into the case was yet to be completed. He objected to the bail of the accused and urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody pending the outcome of investigation.

The defence counsel, Barrister H.O. Gambari prayed the court to release the accused on bail pending the outcome of investigation. He submitted further that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria still presumed the accused innocent of the allegation until contrary is proved.

Magistrate B.A. Immam agreed with the submission of the defence as he released the accused on bail at the sum of N200,000 and two sureties in like sum. The court adjourned the case till December 17 for further mention.