Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri, has sentenced one Habu Aji to two years in prison for N1,250,000.00 (One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) fraud.
The convict was prosecuted by the Maiduguri Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC alongside one Alhaji Gaji Goni Bukar, on two-count charges of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.
While Bukar pleaded guilty and was convicted and sentenced on arraignment on January 22, 2020, Aji pleaded “not guilty,” thus setting the stage for his trial.
Count one of the charge read: “That you Habu Aji and Alhaji Gaji Goni Bukar sometime in November 2018 at Maiduguri within the jurisdiction of this honourable court of Borno State did conspire amongst yourselves to do an illegal act to wit: to dishonestly convert to your own use, the sum of N1,250,000.00 (One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) only, being the sum realised from the sale of 100 bags of Gubio Beans valued at N12,500.00 (Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Naira) per bag, entrusted to you by Alhaji Babagana Ibrahim and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 97 (1) (a) and Punishable under Section 97(1) of the Penal Code Law Cap.102, Laws of Borno State.”
In the course of his trial, prosecution counsel, Haruna Abdulkadir, presented witnesses and tendered several exhibits to prove his case.
Convinced that the prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced Aji to one year imprisonment apiece on the two-count charges with N100, 000. 00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) option of fine, respectively.
Aside the prison terms, Aji is to pay the sum of N625, 000, 00 (Six Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Naira) balance to his victim or serve additional three years imprisonment, which shall run consecutively with his prison terms.
Trouble started for Aji following a petition against him by one Alhaji Ibrahim Babagana, who alleged that he supplied 100 bags of 50kg Gubio Beans, worth N1,250,000.00 (One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) to the convict, who in turn, refused to make full remittance to him after the sale of the produce to a Maiduguri-based non-governmental organisation.
