… EFCC arraigns three others for currency counterfeiting in Yobe
Glory Ebomah
The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, on Thursday, June 8, 2023, secured the conviction and sentencing of one Adamu Abdullahi to three years imprisonment before Justice Musa Mustapha of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on a one-count charge of criminal breach of trust.
The charge reads, “That you, Adamu Abdullahi, sometime in February 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being entrusted with dominion over certain property to wit; N5, 050,000.00 (Five Million Fifty Thousand Naira) by Yakubu Alhaji Bukar as Investment for the purchase of two tricycles and three tricycle carrier respectively known as Keke NAPEP, did dishonestly misappropriated the entire sum of N5, 050,000.00 (Five Million Fifty Thousand Naira) and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State of Nigeria and punishable under section 312 of the same Law.”
Upon arraignment on June 14, 2022, the defendant pleaded not guilty and the case went into the trial with the prosecution calling two witnesses and tendering several documents in evidence.
Justice Mustapha in his Judgment today, convicted and sentenced Abdullahi to three years imprisonment or a fine of N30,000. The Judge further ordered the convict to pay the sum of N2,440,000.00 (Two Million Four Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) in restitution to his victim or go to jail for further five years.
In a related development, the Maiduguri Zonal Command today arraigned the trio of Shamsuddeen Abubakar, Usman Warima Duna and Isma’il Abdullahi before Justice Fatimatu Adamu Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Damaturu on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and currency counterfeiting involving 18 pieces of old N1000 (Eighteen pieces of old one thousand naira) notes.
Count one reads: “That you, Shamsuddeen Abubakar, Usman Warima Duna and Isma’il Abdullahi, sometime in the month of May 2023 at Gashua town, Bade Local Government Area, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court had in your possession 18 pieces of old N1000 Notes, (Eighteen Pieces of Old One Thousand Naira) knowing them to counterfeits and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 5(1)b and punishable under section 5(2) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act Cap C35, vol.4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
Counsel for the prosecution, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed asked for a trial date and the remand of the defendants.
Justice Aliyu ordered the remand of the defendants in prison custody and adjourned till July 19, 2023.