Justice Abdulhamid Yakubu of the Gombe State High Court, Gombe, has rendered a verdict, convicting and sentencing Isiyaku Dahiru and his company, Zafran and Brothers Investment Limited, to a 12-month imprisonment for fraudulent acquisition of N3.5 million under false pretenses.

Dahiru and his company were arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on cheating and fraudulent conversion by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The charge reads: “That you Isiyaku Dahiru and Zafran & Brothers Investment Ltd on or about 18th April 2022 in Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fraudulently took the sum of N3,500,000.00 (Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) property of Usman Ahmad, which you claimed was payment for 50kg of 700 bags of salt but converted same to your personal use 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, the defendant and his company pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to them.

Based on their plea of guilty, prosecuting counsel, S.E. Okemini, prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

However, counsel to the defendant, Sani Rabiu pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy “as the defendant is a first-time offender who is remorseful for his actions and has restituted the money to the victim of crime.”

Justice Yakubu, having listened to both prosecution and defense counsels, convicted and sentenced Dahiru and his company, Zafran and Brothers Investment LTD to 12 months imprisonment.

Dahiru’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when a petitioner alleged that he induced him to part with the sum of N3,500,000.00 paid into his company account for the supply of 700 bags of salt. Every effort of the petitioner to get the supply or refund of his money proved abortive.