The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 secured the conviction and sentencing of one Muhammed Abdullahi Yusuf before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri.

One Hussaini Yusuf allegedly supplied a trailer-load of Spaghetti (Dangote Brand) worth N8, 600,000.00 (Eight Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira) to the defendant to enable him execute a purported school feeding contract in Bauchi State.

The defendant after executing the said contract and receiving full payment, refused to pay the complainant a balance of N4.8m.

The defendant was consequently arraigned on Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

The one count charge reads: “That you, Muhammed Abdullahi Yusuf sometime in October, 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit; a trailer load of Spaghetti (Dangote Brand) worth N8, 600,000.00 (Eight Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira) by Hussaini Yusuf of Ibrahus Enterprises being supplied for the execution of contract for school feeding in Bauchi State, did dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N4,800,000.00 (Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira) out of the said value of the trailer load of Spaghetti and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Act Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State, Nigeria and Punishable under Section 312 of the same Law.”

He pleaded not guilty to the charge. But his counsel, M.U Bukar approached the court with an application to change his plea, citing the defendant’s inability to stand trial as a result of a spinal cord injury.

“My Lord this is an application on behalf of the defendant to change and enter a plea of guilty as a result of his inability to stand trial.”

The defendant pleaded ‘guilty’ through his lawyer in writing.

Counsel for the prosecution, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, therefore urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.

Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced the defendant to one year imprisonment with an option of N100, 000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) fine. The court ordered the convict to restitute the balance of N2.4m to his victim.

Media & Publicity

5 July, 2022