The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, July 26, 2021 secured the conviction and sentencing to six months imprisonment of Lawal Karta and Aisami Sheriff before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on a one count amended charge of criminal misappropriation to the tune of N5, 000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) only.
The duo connived and defrauded the nominal complainant of the said sum when they sold a land to him with forged title.
The amended charge reads: “That you Lawan Kartah, Aisami Sherif and one Alhaji Goni Abba Umar (now at large) sometime in 2017 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N5, 000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) only being property belonging to one Mohammed Umar Bolori which is meant to service his interest in buying a plot of land situate and located at Moramti Area, Maiduguri Borno State and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code Law of Borno State Cap. 102 Vol. 3 of 1994 respectively”.
They pleaded “guilty “when the charge was read to them.
Upon their plea, prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed reviewed the facts of the case through an operative of the EFCC, Buba Adbul.
Buba informed the court that investigation into the petition received against the convicts revealed that, the complainant, Alhaji Goni Abba Umar paid the sum of N5million in the presence of Lawal Kartah , Aisami Sheriff and Babagana Kokomo (now at large).
According to him, the defendants issued him a forged title documents belonging to One Abba Kago Marte.
The petition written against the convicts, statements of the convicts with the EFCC and a letter of investigation activities written to the defunct Ministry of Land and Survey, now Borno Geographical Information Service (BOGIS) were admitted in evidence and marked exhibit A, B,C and D respectively.
In his judgment, Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced the defendants to six months imprisonment.
Justice Fadawu however gave the convicts an option of N50, 000.00 (Fifty Thousand Naira) fine each.
He also ordered that the jail term be served consecutively.