The Federal High Court Kano presided over by Justice Fatu Riman has convicted and sentenced one Yakubu Mohammed Na-Allah, a senior lawyer to four years imprisonment without option of fine for offences of money laundering to the the tune of N50 million.
The convict was arraigned by the EFCC on 14 January, 2013 on a two count charge of money laundering. Upon arraignment, Na-Allah pleaded not guilty and subsequently trial commenced on 26 June, 2013 in which the prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered fifteen exhibits.
On February 1, 2013 the properties of the convict were attached by the EFCC following an interim forfieture order issued by the same court.
Na-Allah’s journey to prison started when the commission recieved a petition that the 68-year-old Kano Lawyer, allegedly duped two of his clients to the tune of N50 million part of the money recovered for his client in a case they filed against Ministry of Solid Minerals where the convict represented them.
The petition alleged that the convict after winning the case and the sum of N90 million recovered, he gave his client only N30 million and converted the rest of the money to his personal use. However, investigation by the EFCC revealed that the convict used part of the proceeds to acquire a palatial mansion in Sharada area of Kano.
In his judgment, Justice Riman ruled that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and subsequently convicted Na-Allah.
Prosecution counsel, M.S Abubakar urged the court to consider the forfeiture of properties acquired by the convict with the proceed of his crime.
Justice Riman sentenced the convict to serve two years imprisonment on each of the two count charge and also ordered that the attached property of the convict worth N50 million at the time it was purchased be forfieted to the Federal Government. The sentences are to run concurrently.
Also, the EFCC Wednesday secured the conviction of two former First Bank staff, Mukhtar Ali Tofa and Yusuf Tafida before Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High Court Kano on one count charge of financial malpractice.
The convicts were arraigned by the EFCC on February 7, 2014 alongside one Ibrahim Sale Ali Nagero who upon arraignment pleaded guilty and was immediately convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment.
The convicts alongside one Aminu Magashi who was discharged and acquited today pleaded not guilty to the one count charge preferred against them.
The convicts ordeal started when their employer wrote a petition to EFCC that the first defendant, Nagero obtained a loan facility in the sum of N36 million by forging the signature of his father and three of their staff, Mukhtar Ali Tofa, Yusuf Tafida and Aminu A. Magashi.
Investigation by the EFCC revealed that the three first bank staff processed the loan without due diligence which is an offence contrary to section to section 15(2)(a) of the Failed Banks (Recovery of Debts) and Financial Malpractices in Banks Act Cap F2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under section 16(1)(a) of the same Act.
In Wednesday’s judgment, Justice Riman found the evidence of the prosecution witnesses credible and held that the prosecution had proved the ingredients of the charge against the the third and fourth defendants, Tofa and Tafida beyond reasonable doubt and subsequently convicted them. The fifth defendant, Magashi was discharged and acquited because, according to Riman, the prosecution failed to prove the case against him.
The two convicts were sentenced to one year imprisonment with option of 200,000 fine.
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