Justice Filibus Andetur of the Taraba State High Court, Jalingo on Tuesday sentenced Maigari Bello Ibrahim and Alhaji Sani A. Mazang, former Chairman and Assistant Secretary respectively of Yorro Local Government Area branch of the National Union of Local Government Employees to nine years imprisonment for conspiracy and criminal breach of trust, contrary to Sections 97 and 315 of the Penal Code.
Maigari and Alhaji Sani were first arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before the same court on July 27, 2011.
Their arrest and subsequent arraignment was sequel to a petition by a new generation bank, which they allegedly defrauded to the tune of N14.56 million.
The bank, sometime in 2007, allegedly offered the union a loan facility to purchase motorcycles for its members with the agreement that the facility would be repaid through monthly deductions from the beneficiaries’ salaries for a period of 18 months and the deducted sum remitted to the bank.
At the expiration of the repayment period, the bank discovered that the accused persons had used their official positions to divert some of the deductions to their personal use.
In his ruling, Justice Andetur held that the two accused persons erred in their duties as responsible officials of the council by misappropriating funds held in trust.
He therefore found them guilty as charged.
Although counsel to the accused persons, Hadi B. Nguroje, pleaded for mercy on behalf of his clients, Abubakar Aliyu, prosecution counsel, urged the court to do justice as the law demands.
In sentencing the accused persons, Justice Andetur said he had taken cognizance of the pleas and position of the law.
He therefore sentenced them to two years each on the first count and seven years on count two.
Alternatively, they are to pay a fine of N25,000 and N50,000 on counts one and two.
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