- Justice Abubakar finds Kabiru Ismail and Aji Dan Azumu Ali guilty of alleged fraud
- The court orders Ismail to pay the sum of N6.6million as restitution to the Zawarawa Implementation committee
The Gombe zonal office of the EFCC has secured convictions of two people on a three count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining goods by false pretense and forgery.
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The duo of Kabiru Ismail and Aji Dan Azumu Ali, were convicted by the Gombe state high court 9 for the reported fraud.
Justice Abubakar Jauro of Gombe State High Court 9, on a three count charge bordering on Conspiracy, Obtaining goods by false pretence and forgery.
According to the EFCC one of the convicts, Ismail, a member of the Zawarawa Implementation committee, constituted by Gombe state government, charged with the responsibility for welfare of divorcees, connived with the other convict to defraud one Comrade Aliyu Waziri N6.6million in October 2014.
The commission stated that Ismail was to supply three trucks of rice for distribution to divorcees. However, after supplying a truck of the 600 bags of rice, amounting to about N6.6million, Ismail declined to pay him.
It said: “Investigations by the EFCC, however, revealed that the various documents used by Ismail to award the contract to alleged Zawarewa were forged. The supplied bags of rice were also diverted to his personal used.
"They were arraigned on March 14, 2017 and pleaded not guilty to all the charge read against them. The prosecution counsel, A. Y. Muntaka, opened his case by calling witnesses and tendering all the relevant documents to prove his case beyond reasonable."
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While delivering his judgement, Justice Jauro discharged the convicts on count one; on count two, Ismail was convicted to 7 years imprisonment without option of fine, on 3rd count, Ismail and Ali were convicted to 16 months imprisonment with an option of N20,000 each, on the 4th count charge, the Ismail was convicted to 2 years imprisonment with an option of N30,000.
The court also ordered the Ismail to pay the sum of N6.6million as restitution to the nominal complainant.
Kabiru Ismail and Aji Dan Azumu Ali were convicted over fraudulent activities, photo credit: EFCC - Facebook
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Judicial Division, has dismissed a fundamental human rights enforcement procedure act brought against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by a purported importer of cars, Olalekan Olakehinde, seeking N500 million in damages, after the EFCC seized 17 vehicles believed to be proceeds of illicit activities.
NAIJ.com gathered that the said vehicles were traced to Liman Kantigi, a former commissioner for local government in Niger state, who is also a former governorship aspirant.
They were suspected to be illegally acquired. About N6 billion was also traced to him, which he could not account for.
While Kantigi is yet to honour the invitation of the EFCC, the anti-graft agency secured an interim forfeiture order of the account where the money is domiciled.
The order remains valid as it has not been vacated.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Tuesday, 19 December 2017