A 43-year-old businessman, Ibrahim Saleh, was on Wednesday arraigned in a Kaduna High Court over alleged N15 million fraud.

Saleh was charged with a criminal breach of trust by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), Kaduna.

While arraigning the defendant, the EFCC prosecutor, E.K. Garba, told the court that the defendant committed the offense sometime in November 2019.

Garba informed the court that the defendant collected the sum of N15 million from the complainant, Yahaya Gambo, to supply 100 bags of rice to him.

He said that the defendant, however, converted the money to his personal use, while efforts by the complainant to get his money back proved abortive.

The prosecutor noted that the offense contravened Section 293 of the Kaduna State Penal Code.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following the defendant’s plea, the prosecutor urged the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.

The defendant’s counsel, Mohammed Yusuf, however, asked the court to admit his client to bail.

The Judge, Justice Darius Khobo, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N3 million with two sureties in like sum.

Khobo ordered that each surety must own landed property within the court’s jurisdiction and must depose to an affidavit of means.

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He further said that the two sureties and the defendant must deposit two passport photographs with the court’s registrar, along with the defendant’s passport.

Khobo adjourned the matter until Feb. 28 for a hearing.