Tobias Sylvester
A high court in Yobe has sentenced the auditor-general of the state, Idris Yahaya, to five years in prison over N19m fraud.
The auditor-general was sentenced on Monday by Justice Muhammad Lawan after he was found guilty on a one-count charge of criminal misappropriation.
On November 9, 2022, Yahaya pleaded not guilty to the charge after he was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Maiduguri Zonal Command.
In a statement on Monday, March 13, 2023, the EFCC said Yahaya received N19,900,000.00 for the purchase of an official vehicle — a Toyota Corolla model 2015 — and diverted part of the money to his personal use.
The charge reads: “That you, Yahaya Lawal Idris, being the Auditor General for Local Government, Yobe State, between May 20 and 21, 2017, at Damaturu, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, received N19,900,000 via your personal account number 1001480930 with account name Alhaji Yahaya Idris domiciled in United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) from the Local Government Audit Account Number 5030030060 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc for the purchase of a brand new Toyota Corolla 2015 Model, did dishonestly misappropriated the gross sum of N10,100,000.”
The convict, who was first arraigned on November 9, 2022, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, setting the stage for his trial. In the course of the trial, EFCC counsel, Mukhtar Ahmed, called four witnesses and tendered documents, which were admitted in evidence.
Delivering judgment, yesterday, Justice Lawan held that the prosecution proved the case against the defendant and convicted him as charged. He consequently sentenced him to five years with an option of fine.
The judge directed the convicted auditor-general to pay the sum of N10,100,000 in restitution to the Yobe state government through the EFCC or serve additional two years in prison.
KanyiDaily had also reported how the EFFC arraigned a Benue philanthropist, Alhaji Usman Abubakar, popularly known as ‘Young Alhaji’ for alleged N950m fraud.
