A businessman accused of diverting N15 million mistakenly paid into his company’s bank account has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
The defendant, Aminu Datti Ahmed, was arraigned on Thursday before Justice M.S. Idris of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi, on a one-count charge bordering on the alleged misappropriation of funds.
Ahmed, the Chief Executive Officer of Blackrock Apartments & Suites Limited, is accused of dishonestly converting to personal use the sum of N15 million, which investigators said was erroneously credited to the company’s Taj Bank account instead of the intended beneficiary, Braverock Investment Limited.
According to the charge, the money formed part of scheduled payments for a property being acquired through Braverock Investment Limited but was allegedly diverted after it was mistakenly transferred into the defendant’s account.
The charge reads in part:
“That you, Aminu Datti Ahmed and Blackrock Apartments & Suites Limited, sometime in 2025 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, dishonestly converted to your personal use the sum of N15,000,000.00 (Fifteen Million Naira), which was mistakenly credited to Taj Bank account No. 0000251807 belonging to Aminu Datti Ahmed, CEO of Blackrock Apartments & Suites Limited, which the said sum was meant to be credited to Braverock Investment Limited as part of scheduled payments for a property being acquired through the said firm, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel, N.M. Tertsua, prayed the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the determination of the case.
Counsel for the defendant, Isyaku Musa, however, applied for bail, a request that was not opposed by the prosecution.
After hearing both parties, Justice Idris admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
The court ruled that one of the sureties must be a businessman with a valid business certificate and must depose to an affidavit in support of the bail bond.
Justice Idris subsequently adjourned the matter until October 21, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
The EFCC alleged that the offence contravenes the provisions of Sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code Law, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, under which the defendant will stand trial.
