Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri has convicted and sentenced the duo of Adamu Ali and Musa Yakubu to six months imprisonment each on a two count amended charge for the offences of conspiracy to commit cheating and cheating.
The duo are alleged to have induced some job applicants to pay him a sum of N1,100,000 with the false promises of facilitating employment for them at the National Drug Law enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
Count two of the charge read: “That you, Adamu Ali, Musa Yakubu Garba, sometime in June 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, induced the trio of Mohammed Yakubu, Akabrang Yusuf Danfari, and Hajia Fatsuma to deliver to you the sum of N1, 100,000.00 (One Million One Hundred Naira) via your Union Bank account No. 0038581091 being payment for a job with Federal Government of Nigeria, which you are yet to secure the said job and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 (a) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 102. Laws of Borno State.”
The defendants pleaded ‘guilty’ to all the charges preferred against them by the EFCC.
Counsel for the prosecution, J. A Ojogbane, prayed the court to convict the defendants as charged while the defendants pleaded for leniency, stressing they had already restituted the complainants in full.
Justice Kumaliiya thereafter convicted and sentenced the defendants to a fine of Fifty Thousand Naira or six months in prison each on counts one and two.
In another development, one Adam Alhaji Bukar was arraigned before Justice Kumaliya on a one count amended charge bordering on cheating to the tune of N1, 620,000.00 (Ten Million Six Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira).
The charge reads: “That you, Adam Alhaji Bukar, sometime in December, 2019 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly induced Alhaji Abdullahi Isa to deliver to you the sum of N10,620,000.00 (Ten Million Six Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) which the said amount represent payment for the supply of 450 bags of Maize which is to be subsequently supplied to Government College, Maiduguri and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 (a) and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State.”
The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charge.
Counsel for the prosecution J. A Ojogbane prayed the court for a trial date and for the remand of the defendant in prison custody pending trial.
Justice Kumaliya remanded the defendant in prison custody and adjourned till November 9 and 10, 2022 for commencement of trial.