Friday, April 24, 2026 - A Yobe State High Court sitting in Damaturu has sentenced one Sadiq Abubakar to 37 years imprisonment for his involvement in a N29.17m procurement fraud.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday by Justice Lawu
Lawan.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Thursday
posted on the official Facebook page of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission.
The convict was arraigned by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate
of the anti-graft agency on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining by false
pretence, criminal misappropriation, forgery, and the use of forged documents.
According to the charge sheet, Abubakar fraudulently
obtained N29,175,000 from his victims under the guise of supplying white
sorghum.
Count one of the charge read, “That you, Abubakar Sadiq
Abubakar, sometime in 2023, at Potiskum, within the jurisdiction of this
honourable court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N29,175,000 from
Ibrahim Zakari Waziri, Shittu Ali Firi and Afreebak Nigeria Limited under the
pretence that the said amount represented payment for the supply of 38.9 metric
tons of white sorghum when you represented yourself as a Procurement Officer of
BUA Food Plc, which you knew to be false.”
Another count stated, “That you did fraudulently make false
documents purportedly issued by BUA Food Plc, knowing them to be forged, and
presented them to the victims.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges, leading to
a full trial.
During the trial, prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed,
presented five witnesses and tendered several documents which were admitted in
evidence.
Delivering judgment, Justice Lawan sentenced the defendant
to 10 years imprisonment on count one with an option of a N100,000 fine.
On count two, the court imposed a two-year jail term or a
N5,000 fine. For count three, the convict was sentenced to eight years
imprisonment or a N100,000 fine, while count four attracted seven years
imprisonment or a N60,000 fine.
The court further ordered the convict to refund the sum of
N29,175,000 to the victims or serve an additional 10-year prison term.
The commission said the fraud began when the convict
approached the victims and falsely presented himself as a procurement officer
of BUA Foods Plc.
It added that he issued fake receipts for the supposed
supply of sorghum and collected the money.
On
Wednesday, an Ikeja Special Offences Court convicted and sentenced Ndidi Joshua
Bobby to 42 years’ imprisonment for internet fraud involving false identity
claims and obtaining money under false pretence.
Bobby’s conviction followed his prosecution by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Okotie-Eboh
He was convicted on charges bordering on stealing and
possession of fraudulent documents involving €80,000.
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