Joseph Bakare
Justice Abdulhamid Yakubu of the Gombe State High Court in Gombe , Gombe State on Thursday, April 18, 2024 convicted and sentenced the duo of Adamu Usman and Emmanuel Joseph to jail for employment and Automated Teller Machine, ATM, fraud to the tune of N7,990,490.00k( Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety Thousand, Four Hundred and NinetyNaira only).
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They were separately arraigned on one-count charge by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Commission
The charge against Adamu Usman reads: That you Adamu Usman and Abdulwahab Adamu Magaji between January / December 2023 at Gombe , Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did obtain the aggregate sum of Seven Million and Eight Hundred Thousand naira ( N7,800,000) only from one Hajiya Hauwa Ali which you claimed was payment for offer of an employment at Ministry of Health Gombe State and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 322 of Same Law.
The charge against Emmanuel Joseph reads: That you , Emmanuel Joseph sometimes in November 2022 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court fraudulently obtained the sum of One Hundred and NinetyThousand Four Hundred and Ninety Naira ( 190,490.00) only from EcoBank Account.number 1771070549 belonging to one Adamu Manu Tafida without his consent through his ATM card and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under 322 of the same Law.
Upon arraignment, the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective counts, prompting the prosecution counsel S.E. Okemini to pray the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly. However, counsel to the defendants, E.S.Tizhe pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as the defendants were first- time offenders.
Justice Yakubu thereafter convicted and sentenced Usman to eighteen (18) months imprisonment with an option of fine of Thirty- Thousand Naira and Joseph was cautioned and sentenced to six months imprisonment or a fine of Ten Thousand Naira.
The convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested for employment and ATM fraud respectively. They were charged to court and convicted.
In a related development, the Gombe Zonal Command of the EFCC on April 18, 2024 arraigned one Abdulwahab Adamu Magaji before Justice Abdulhamid Yakubu of the Gombe State High Court sitting in Gombe , Gombe State.
He was arranged on a lone charge of obtaining by false pretence by the Gombe Zonal Command of the EFCC
The charge reads: That you Abdulwahab Adamu Magaji and Adamu Usman between January and December 2023 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court obtained the aggregate sum of Seven Million and Eight Hundred Thousand Naira ( N7,800,000) only from one Hajiua Hauwa Ali which you claimed was payment for offer of an employment at Ministry of Health in Gombe , Gombe State and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 322 of the same Law
Upon arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the count, prompting the prosecution counsel S.E. Okemini to ask the court for a trial date to enable him present his witnesses
Justice Yakubu thereafter adjourned the matter to April 25 ,2024 for trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Gombe Correctional service, Gombe State.