Niger NUJ Chairman Dragged To Court For Alleged Cheating, Criminal Breach Of Trust

Olabode Adaramola

A Minna, Niger State based  business woman, Tina Mutun, has dragged the Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger State Council, Malam Mohammed Mohammed, to court ober allegation of breach of trust and cheating.

A copy of the direct criminal complaint filed at the Senior Magistrate  Court 5, Minna a copy of which was made available to the Nigerian Tribune yesterday in Minna indicated   that the NUJ Chairman alongside his financial secretary, Mr Uriah Gana were being accused of cheating and criminal breach of trust.

The offense is contrary to sections 320 and 311 of the penal code law respectively.

According to the complaint, the complainant had allegedly approached the NUJ Chairman last year , to lease two rooms and an open space for her at the NUJ secretariat, Minna  to operate as liquor  parlor.

Mohammed was said to have agreed to give out the said apartment to the complainant at an annual rent of N350, 000 but allegedly failed to make the place available after collecting the said amount.However, when the complainant could not take possession of the apartment, she demanded for a refund of her money but the accused persons only returned N150, 000 leaving a balance of N200, 000.

After several unsuccessfully  attempts to get the balance of her money back, and with the tenure of the accused person elapsing this month,( Aprill the complainant decided to approach the court, seeking an order of the court to direct the accused persons to pay the remaining balance of N200, 000.

She is also claiming N250, 000 as damages as well as N300, 000 as cost of the litigation. The case has however been slated for April 25 for mention.