The conviction came after his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following a petition which alleged that he obtained property of the complainant worth N7,677,000 under false pretence.
Justice Dije Abdu Aboki of a Kano State High Court on Wednesday sentenced a Kano-based businessman, Jamilu Sule to seven years imprisonment, with no option of a fine.
The conviction came after his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission following a petition which alleged that he obtained property of the complainant worth N7,677,000 under false pretence.
Upon arraignment on May 21, 2019, he pleaded not guilty to the four counts brought against him.
During the trial, prosecution counsel, Micheal Ojo, called four witnesses and closed his case.
After the closure of the prosecution’s case, the defendant opted for a no-case submission where he succeeded in getting the court to strike out two of the four counts. The court however ordered him to open his defence on counts 1 and 4.
Sule was arraigned by the Kano Zonal Command of the EFCC, on Wednesday, before Justice Dije Abdu Aboki on one count of obtaining by false pretence.
In his judgment on Wednesday, Justice Aboki discharged and acquitted him on count 4 but found the defendant guilty on count 1.
The convict was sentenced to seven (7) years imprisonment with no option of a fine.
According to the Commission’s spokesman, Tony Orilade, in a press statement, during his first trial in 2019, the anti-graft agency said Sule was accused of collecting goods, valued at N7, 677,000, on credit under the guise that he would supply the same to supermarkets.
“The Commission’s investigations revealed that the defendant is in the habit of collecting goods, pretending that he would supply same to supermarkets, but instead divert the goods for his personal use,” the statement said.
‘’Furthermore, the Commission disclosed that it charged the accused before Justice Dije Aboki, on a four-count charge of obtaining goods by false pretence.”
One of the counts read, “That you Jamilu Sule on or about July to August 2018 at Singer Market Kano within the Kano Judicial Division of the Kano State High Court, with intent to defraud obtained some goods (food items) worth the sum of N6,542,000 (Six Million Five Hundred and Forty-Two Thousand Naira), from Muhammed Sharif Ahmad.
"When you falsely represent that you are supplying one supermarket at Hotoro Kano with the food goods items which representation you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud (and Other Fraud Related Offences) Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
Justice Aboki also ordered the convict to restitute the sum of N6,542,000 to the complainant.
One of the charges read: “That you Jamilu Sule, between July and August 2018, at Singer Market Kano, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, deceitfully obtained some provisions and food items, valued at N7,677,000 only, properties of Mohammed Shariff Ahmad, Ibrahim Dauda Abdullahi and Tajuddeen Abdulrahaman, committing cheating in respect of the said goods and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”