The Provost, Federal School of Medical Laboratory science Technology Jos, Dr. Nkeruewem Sunday Etukudoh and four others have been arraigned before Justice S. P Gang of High Court 3 Jos on 16 Count Charge bordering on Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud related matters.

The matter which came up on Tuesday 25th April, 2023 commenced Denovo following the retirement of Hon. Justice Christene Dabup last year who was handling the case.

As a matter of fact, Hon. Justice Gang is the 4th Judge handling the matter since the accused persons were first arraigned in 2016 before Justice Yakubu Dakwak. After the retirement of Justice Dakwak, the file was reassigned to Justice Danjuma Longji who after his retirement in 2019, the case file was reassigned to Justice Christene Dabup before her retirement last year.

When the case with Amended charge No: PLD/J36c/2015 was called and the charges read to the accused after the EFCC sought the leave of court for that purpose.
 
One of the charge reads:
"That you Dr Nkereuwem Sunday Etukudoh being the provost of Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos, Yusufu Samuel being the Accountant of Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos, Mr Ernest Demtoe being the secretary of tenders Board of Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos, and Hon. Esio Uboh being a contractor with Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos, sometime between August 2008 and December 2011, in Jos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intent to defraud conspired among yourselves to induce the Federal Government of Nigeria to deliver to you an aggregate sum of N64,891,172.00 vide a medium of a rted and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act".

The second charge equally reads:"That you Dr Nkereuwem Sunday Etukudoh being the provost of Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos, Yusufu Samuel being the Accountant of Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos, Mr Ernest Demtoe being the secretary of tenders Board of Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos, and Hon. Esio Uboh being the Managing Director of Mercater Construction limited sometime between August 2008 and December, 2008, in Jos, within thé yrisdiction of this Honourable court, with the intent to defraud, induced the federal Government of Nigeria through Central Bank of Nigeria to deliver the aggregate sum of N40,500,002.00 to Mercater Construction Limited’s Access Bank Account, under the false pretence that the said money was payment for a purported contract awarded to Mercater Construction Limited for the clearing and fencing of student Hostel and the provision of borehole with treatment plant and Hostel jandscaping/ Renovation for Federal School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Jos and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(b) of the advance fee fraud and other fraud related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act".

After the charges were read to the accused, they pleaded not guilty to them. In the light of this, the prosecution Counsel asked for a new date to call witnesses in proving the case. 

The matter was adjourned to June 08, 2023 for hearing while the previous bail condition of the accused was retained, but the case could not hold on the adjourned date  do the engagement of the judge in at  national assessment  on election petition tribunal, following the development the case is now adjourned to 30th October 2023 for hearing and for the prosecution council to prove their case.