In a verdict that will be considered worse than a slap on the
wrist, a judge of Gombe High Court, Justice Abdul Hamid has asked an accused,
Rose Dogara Silas Gyar to pay N20,000 ( twenty thousand naira) to avoid going
to jail for three years after convicting her one-count charge bordering on N3
million fraud.
Gyar was arraigned before Justice Hamid by the
Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for
duping one Saifullahi Sani Abdullahi of the sum of N3 million in the guise of
helping him to obtain a loan under the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Anchor
Borrowers Programme.
Gyar and one Mohammad Babayo Maina told Abdullahi
that they would enrol him in CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ programme for farmers with
a promise that he would receive funding and farm input from the apex bank.
According to the charges filed in court by EFCC, Gyar and her accomplice
demanded N3 million as collateral for the loan.
However, Abdullahi dragged them to EFCC when he
did not get anything from the CBN and could not get a refund from Gyar and her
accomplice.
Gyar was arraigned on one.-count charge bordering on cheating to the tune
of N3,000,000.00 contrary to Section 322 of the Penal Code.
She pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was
read to her, upon which prosecution counsel, M.D Aliyu prayed the court to
convict and sentence her accordingly.
However, the defence counsel, S.O Kumu pleaded with the court to temper
justice with mercy, saying his client has shown remorse and has fully
restituted the proceeds of crime to her victim.
Justice Hamid convicted and sentenced her to three years imprisonment with
an option of a fine of N20,000( Twenty Naira only).
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