An Upper Area Court in Mpape, Abuja, on Friday ordered that a man, Ibitayo Abdullahi, be remanded in police custody pending the conclusion of the investigation.

Abdullahi is facing trial for allegedly defrauding his clients of N2.9 million.

The Judge, Marafa Mohammed, said he was deferring the judgement to allow the Police to conclude their investigation.

He ordered that the defendant be remanded in police custody till March 29 when the court would determine his fate.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Stanley Nwaforaku, told the court that on Jan. 21, the defendant, a builder at the FHA Lugbe area of the FCT, was paid N2.9 million for a construction job.

Nwaforaku said that the money was for the construction of decking on the complainant’s building, based on trust.

He said that the defendant promised to deliver the job within two weeks.

The prosecutor said after the defendant collected the money, he could not give a satisfactory explanation on how he spent the money and was arrested.

He further said that Abdullahi was released on bail in order to go and complete the work, but that he jumped bail.

The prosecutor told the court that one Babatunde Raji and Olusola Faseyi reported the case at the Mpape Police Station.

He said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.