A businessman, Yusuf Aminu, has been jailed by a Bauchi State High Court for three years for dishonesty and obtaining N1.6 million from First City Monument Bank (FCMB) under false pretence.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the Gombe Zonal Command of the EFCC arraigned Aminu before Justice A.M Sambo of the Bauchi State High Court on one-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretences.
The EFCC said that Aminu obtained a loan from First City Monument Bank to enhance his business but neither used the loan for his business nor repaid the bank that offered him the loan.
The one-count charge reads: “That you Yusuf Aminu (trading under the name and style of Yusuf Aminu General Enterprises ) sometimes in January 2021 at Bauchi, Bauchi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud, dishonestly obtained the sum of N1,600,000.00 from First City Monument Bank by falsely representing that the said sum was for the improvement and enhancement of your working capital which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law.”
He pleaded “guilty” to the charge, following which prosecution counsel, Mubarak Tijani prayed the court to convict and sentence him accordingly, while his counsel, Adamu Baba, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the defendant has become remorseful and made full restitution to his victim.
Justice Sambo convicted and sentenced him to three years imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000.
In another development, the Gombe Zonal Command of the Commission on January 18 arranged one Dare Dammas Luggard before Justice J.D. Longden of the Plateau State State High Court, sitting in Jos.
Luggard was arraigned on six-count charges bordering on intent to defraud and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N11.55 million.
One of the charges reads: “That you Dare Dimmas Luggard sometimes in 2021 in Jos, Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did with intent to defraud, induced Samalia Isa Kudi to deliver to you the sum of Four Million and Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,500,000.00) under the pretence that you were contracted to deliver 10,000 bags of maize to internally displaced persons and that his profit is monthly and his capital will be pulled out at his will, which you never did, instead you diverted the said sum to your personal use and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges, prompting prosecution counsel, A.B. Kware to pray the court for a trial date while the defence counsel, A.S. Amaleh informed the court of an existing bail application for the defendant.
Justice Longden granted the defendant bail in the sum of N5 million and two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must be a district head in the defendant’s community.
The judge remanded him in Jos Correctional Centre pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions and adjourned the matter till March 19, 2024, for continuation of trial.