Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High Court, Kano, has
convicted one Bashir Musa of Hotoro Dan Marke Quarters of Kano City on two
counts of personation and obtaining money by false pretence.
The convict was arrested by Operatives of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on August 27, 2012 following a petition by
one Shetima Yusuf of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) Quarters, Kano. The
complainant alleged that the convict had offered to sell to him, four plots of
land which he claimed belonged to his father, Alhaji Musa Usman.
Upon agreement, Shatima raised a First Bank Cheque of
N600, 000. 00 and FCMB Cheque of N300, 000. 00 both dated
30th June, 2012 in favour of the convict, and promised to pay the balance
of N600, 000.00 in seven days. But to his dismay, the convict, Bashir
Musa, informed him that the land had been sold by his father, but promised to
give him another land. He later showed him another plot of land at Mariri
Quarters for N2, 000, 000.00, for which the complainant paid an
additional N1,000,000, only to be told later that the land belongs to another
person.
Investigation revealed that the father of the convict never
owned any land in that area.
Count one read “That you Bashir Musa, on or about
30th June, 2010, in Kano within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court
with intention to defraud, obtained the sum of One Million Naira (1,000,000.
00) only from Shettima Yusuf under the false pretence of selling to him four
plots of land located at Mariri area of Kano, which pretence you knew to be
false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of
Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable
under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.
In his judgement, Justice Riman stated the prosecution had
proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the accused accordingly.
The convict was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment on each
count but the sentences are to run concurrently. He was however given an option
of fine of N350, 000 on each count.
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