Abubakar Mohammed, a Nigerian national residing in Dubai, has been arraigned in Nigeria over an alleged $307,500 fraud. The charges stem from an international automobile scam involving the purported shipment of luxury vehicles. Mohammed was apprehended in the United Arab Emirates by Interpol following accusations by an international automobile dealer. He allegedly defrauded the dealer under the false pretense of arranging the transportation of high-end cars from Dubai to Nigeria.

The complaint against Mohammed was initially filed in July 2023. Investigations conducted by the Nigeria Police Force revealed that Mohammed had secured a contract to manage both the payment and shipment of ten luxury vehicles, valued at $307,500. These transactions were purportedly to be facilitated through recognized shipping firms. However, after receiving the substantial funds via a third-party FCMB account belonging to one Anas Usaini from Kano, the money was allegedly laundered in Dubai.

Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed that, subsequent to the completion of the transaction, the suspect provided the complainant with a forged bill of lading and became unreachable. Mohammed was successfully extradited from the UAE to Nigeria on May 23 and subsequently arraigned before a federal high court in Abuja on Tuesday. He entered a plea of not guilty to a comprehensive six-count charge, which includes serious offenses such as criminal breach of trust, obtaining by false pretence, forgery, and money laundering.

The court has ordered Mohammed to be remanded at the Nigeria Correctional Service facility located in Keffi, Nasarawa state. He will remain in custody pending the hearing of his bail application, which has been scheduled for July 17, 2025.