The EFCC today, November 14, 2016 secured
the conviction of Yagana Ibrahim Bukar
A.K.A Aisha Shettima Noor before
Honourable Justice Fatu Riman of the
Federal High Court Kano.
The convict was
arraigned by the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission on October 23, 2013 on
a ten count charge bordering on Forgery and
Obtaining under false pretense.
Upon arraignment, Yagana pleaded not guilty
and trial commenced, but after PW1, a staff
of Skye Bank provided evidence against her ,
the convict absconded and the case suffered
eight adjournment.
On October 3, 2014, the Federal High Court
issued an order forfeiting all the attached
properties belonging to Yagana. The assets
include various sums of money stashed in
three different bank accounts, a Honda
Accord car with registration No. BD 496 NSR,
a Toyota Matrix Car with registration No.
FGE 122 AE and a Shop with goods situated
at Badawa Layout, Kano.
On the 9th of June, 2016, the prosecution
applied under section 352(4) of the
Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015
for a trial in absencia which was granted by
the court.
After the application to try in absencia was
granted, the prosecution counsel, Mohammed
Sadisu Abubakar called one more witness
and tendered a total of eleven exhibits.
PW2, the investigation officer of the case,
Hammaadama Bello in his evidence informed
the court that the commission received a
petition from the nominal complainant,
Azman Oil and that the petition alleged that
Yagana had stolen over N41,000,000 from
the account of the complainant which she
was the account officer.
It was also discovered during investigation,
that Yagana used her position as account
officer to the complainant to launder the
sum of N12, 626, 250 out of the
N41,000,000 she stole from the customer's
account. She perpetrated the scam by
posting the sum into three Sky Bank
accounts belonging to her family members-
Hajja Fanna, her sister; Grema Ibrahim
Bukar, her brother and her child, Ummu
Kulthum.
In order to further conceal the illicit origin of
the money, the convict used part of the
money to open a provision store in the Kawo
area of Kano Metropolis.
PW2 also revealed that the convict had
doctored an account statement which she
often presented to the complainant almost
on monthly basis. The witness also revealed
that CCTV footage also showed instances
when the convict was transporting money out
of the Bank.
The convict is also awaiting arraignment
before the Kano State High Court in a sister
case.
In his judgment, Justice Riman held that the
prosecution has proved its case beyond
reasonable doubt and therefore found
Yagana guilty as charged.
He convicted her
on each of the ten count charge brought
against her by the EFCC. However by virtue
of section 352(5) of ACJA 2015, Justice
Riman reserved sentencing of the convict
until January 30, 2017 pending her arrest.
0 comments: