The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, #EFCC, Gombe Office has secured the conviction of one Ukasha Saidu before Justice Beatrice Iliya of Gombe State High Court on a one count charge bordering on adulteration of palm oil.
Ukasha was arrested at Gombe main market in September 2017, following an intelligence report received by the EFCC.
However, samples of the product were taken to NAFDAC for further investigation and later their laboratory reports showed that the product was unsatisfactory.
The defendant was arraigned yesterday, June 27, 2018, before Justice Beatrice on one count charge.
The count reads “That, you Ukasha Saidu sometime in 2017 at Gombe, Gombe State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did adulterate 11 containers of processed palm oil product using a red substance know as (JAWA) without the knowledge and consent of purchaser (s) and thereby committed an offence contrary to and Punishable under Section 184 of the Penal Code Law, Laws of Northern Nigeria 1987”.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge, after it was read to him.
In view of this, the prosecution counsel, Zarami Muhammad, asked the court to convict and sentence him according to law.
Having no objection from the defence counsel, Justice Iliya pronounced the defendant guilty as charged and adjourned the matter to June 28, 2018, for sentencing.
While delivering her judgement today, the presiding Judge stated that “though the burden of the case was on the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt, but going by the guilty plea of the defendant, the burden became slight.
She expressed her dismay that the defendant committed the offence without considering the health hazards to members of the public.