Kaduna court convicts fake lawyer, two others for fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Kaduna Zonal Office has secured the conviction of one Alhaji Ahmadu Abdullahi before Justice Darius Khobo of State High Court sitting in Kaduna.
The convict was arraigned on 26th September, 2018 on one count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust to the tune of N3,308.500 (Three Million, Three Hundred and Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira).
The convict was said to have defrauded one Chigbo Nwafor, owner of Nwafor & Sons Nigeria Limited of the said sum under the guise of helping the victim purchase some bags of salt, to which he defaulted after collecting the money.
The count reads:
“That you, Alhaji Ahmadu Abdullahi, sometime in 2016 in Zaria within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court being entrusted with property to wit: N3,308.500 (Three Million, Three Hundred and Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira Only) by one Nwafor and Sons Nigeria Limited for the purchase of some bags/trucks of salt, did dishonestly convert to your own use in violation of Legal Contract which you made in regard to the said sum and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State and punishable under Section 312 of the same Law.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In the course of the trial, the EFCC presented five witnesses and tendered various exhibits.
Consequently, the court found him guilty of the offence of criminal breach of trust.
Justice Khobo sentenced Abdullahi to four years imprisonment with an option of N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) fine.
In addition, the judge ordered the convict to pay the victim the sum of N3,308,500 (Three Million, Three Hundred and Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) as restitution through EFCC or risk six month jail.
In a similar vein, Justice Tukur Mohammed of the State high court sitting in Kaduna on Friday, February 12, 2021 convicted and sentenced one Alyu Shuaibu Mohammed also known as Bala Mohammed Adamu over offences bordering on impersonation, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence.
Aliyu was prosecuted on one count by the EFCC
The convict was fraudulently parading himself as a barrister and in that capacity defrauding unsuspecting victims under the pretext of rendering legal services to them.
The offence contravenes Section 142(1), 345 and 349 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017 and punishable under Section 142(1), 345 and 349 of the same Law.
After diligent prosecution of the case, Justice Tukur found the defendant guilty and convicted him to pay a fine of N150,000 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
In a related development, Justice Mohammed Tukur has convicted and sentenced one Godwin Endurance Edeniyere to six months imprisonment without an option of fine.
The convict was said to have cloned Facebook accounts of prominent citizens and swindled them of various sums of money.
He was charged on one count of cheating by impersonation contrary to Section 308 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.
