Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court today, April, 18, 2023, convicted and sentenced one Adamu Jatau to seven years imprisonment on charges bordering on giving false information.
Jatau, ran into trouble when he sent a petition to the Commission claiming that he gave one Bulus Audu, a staff of the Kaduna State Geographical Information System (KADGIS) the sum of N4,250,000.00(Four Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) to process his land documents, an allegation which turned out to be false.
The one count charge reads: “that you, Adamu Jatau (M) between July and September, 2022 in Kaduna, Kaduna State within the jurisdiction of the Honourable court, in a declaration made by you before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), made a false statement, which you knew to be false touching a point material to the object for which the declaration was made, to wit: that one Bulus Audu presented himself as a staff of Kaduna State Geographical Information System (KADGIS) and requested for the sum of N4,250,000.00(Four Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) only from you to enable him (Bulus) acquire an offer letter for your land located at Karuga Village at Chukun Local Government and that you gave the money in cash to the said Bulus Audu and that there was no offer letter and all efforts to recover your money proved abortive, and which declaration was by law receivable as evidence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 127(1) of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law,2017 and punishable under Section 121 (2) of the same Act”.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
Justice Khobo sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment with an option of fine of N150,000.00.