Justice A. H. Suleman of the Bauchi State High Court, on March 7, 2019, sentenced one Haruna Abdulmuni to seven years prison term, while Justice Sa’ad Muhammad of Gombe State High Court, committed one Babangida Muhammad to two months imprisonment.
Both cases were prosecuted by the Gombe Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Abdulmuni faced a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, possession of forged documents, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence.
He was arrested by EFCC following a petition by one Haladu Daku Lamido, who alleged that the convict and other suspects at large conspired among themselves and converted a landed property situated at Fadaman Mada, Bauchi by forging documents of the property, with which they sold it to him at the sum of N780,000.00.
Abdulmuni was initially arraigned sometime in October, 2017. One of the charges read: “That you, Haruna Abdulmuni and Sadiq Shehi (now at large) sometime in June, 2015 at Bauchi, Bauchi State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N780,000, (Seven Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira) from one Alhaji Inuwa Garkuwa under false pretence, being the money he used to purchase a plot of land and uncompleted building at Fadaman Mada Bauchi which you never sold to him, instead you diverted same to your personal use and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded not guilty, which made the prosecution counsel S.M. Aliyu to ask for trial.
In his judgement, Justice Suleman observed that, the prosecution proved it case beyond reasonable doubt in count two, three and five, and therefore convicted and sentenced the defendant to five years respectively on count two and three, and seven years on count five. The sentences run concurrently, starting from November 16, 2016.
The judge also ordered the convict to repay the sum of N780,000 to the complainant as restitution.
In the matter involving the convict, Babangida Muhammad in Gombe State High Court, presided over by Justice Sa’ad Muhammad, the convict faced a two-count charge bordering on cheating and forgery upon his arraignment today, March 7, 2019.
Muhammad was reported to the EFCC sometime between June and July, 2016 by one Salihu Abubakar on allegation that he presented a forged West African Examination Council (WAEC) Certificate to a Verification Committee, constituted by Gombe State Government.
The prosecution counsel, Zarami Muhammad said he knew that the document was forged and that he “intended same to be dishonestly used as genuine which is contrary to and punishable under the provision of Section 364 of the Penal Code.”
He pleaded guilty to the charge, prompting the prosecution counsel to urge the court to convict him.
Justice Muhammad convicted and sentenced him to two months imprisonment with an option of N50,000 fine.
