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Justice Halima Shamaki of Gombe State High Court has convicted and sentenced 37-year-old businessman, Ibrahim Shittu, who deals on flour, to seven (7) years imprisonment on two (2) count charge of obtaining by false pretences brought against him by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Shittu, who is from Gombe Local Government Area of the State, on July 30th, 2020 , obtained the sum of N2,622,000.00 ( Two Million, Six Hundred and Twenty Two Thousand Naira) from one Abubarka Kawu on the pretext of supplying 202 bags of flour to him at the rate of N12,981.00 (Twelve Thousand, Nine Hundred and Eighty One Naira) per bag.
He not only failed to deliver the said bags of flour but converted the amount to his personal use and refused to refund the complainant.
The case went to full trial after the defendant pleaded not guilty upon arraignment on 9th March, 2021. His company, NAAZNEEN GLOBAL SERVICES, which he used to receive most of the payment from the complainant was convicted and sentenced to a fine of N100,000.00 while Shittu was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.
The court however, gave him an option of fine of N100, 000 and ordered him remanded in Nigerian Correctional Centre, Gombe, pending the full payment of N1, 382,000 restitution to the victim of his crime.
