Iniobong Sunday
Akwa Ibom Magistrate Court 10 in Uyo, the state capital, has granted administrative bail to a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr Sunday Johnson Udom, over an alleged N31 million fraud.
The court presided over by Magistrate I. Idiong, released Udom, 72, detained at Ikot Ekpene Custodial Centre, after fulfilling N1 million bail and other stringent conditions.
The accused popularly known as Soni Udom, also a one-time Chairman of Oruk Anam Local Government Area, was arrested by the police for allegedly defrauding one Aniekan Etim, to the tune of N31 million, contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) (c) (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act, 2006.
The defendant, in suit number: MU/155C/2023, had in November 2021, approached Aniekan Etim on a pretext that he is running a foundation that is partnering with a foreign donor agency in London and Zurich, and that the foundation has a contract with the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Moved by his love for charity, Etim, it was learnt, had consented, oblivious of the fact that he had been defrauded, as the defendant failed to refund the money as promised, even as subsequent investigations revealed he has no visible foundation to his name.
However, in his bid to recover his cash, Etim, had to petition the commissioner of police, and Udom was arrested after severally evading police invitations.
He was subsequently granted an administrative bail by the police but the 72-year-old jumped bail, which led to his re-arrest and remand in the prison custody.
Udom, in his statement to the police, admitted running a charity foundation called Soni Udom Foundation, with headquarters at No 7 Umoessien Street, off Obio Imo Street, Uyo, the state capital.
He also admitted knowing and collecting the said N31 million from Aniekan Etim with a promise to refund same: First, N5 million and then N26 million at different times.
However, in a lengthy legal battle, the commissioner of police, represented by a legal officer from the Police Legal Department, State Command Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, noted that “the foundation documents presented by Sunday Udom, to get the money from Aniekan Etim, were fake with the intent to defraud him through deceit and dishonesty.”
Utibe Nwoko, counsel to Udom, argued that his client, aside being aged 72 years, is diabetic with a partial stroke, thus should be admitted to bail by the court.
