Court Jails Fraudster 37 years for N29m Procurement Fraud in Damaturu
Justice Lawu Lawan of the Yobe State High Court, Damaturu on Thursday 23, April 2026 convicted and sentenced one Abubakar Sadiq Abubakar to 37 years imprisonment.
The defendant was arraigned by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a four- count charges bordering on obtaining by false pretence, criminal misappropriation, forgery and used forged documents as genuine to the tune of N29,175,000. (Twenty Nine Million, One Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand Naira).
Count one reads: "That you, Abubakar Sadiq Abubakar, sometimes in 2023, at Potiskum, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud did obtain the gross sum of N29,175,000 (Twenty Nine Million, One Hundred and Seventy Five Thousand Naira) from one Ibrahim Zakari Waziri, Shittu Ali Firi and Afreebak Nigeria Limited a company registered in Nigeria under the pretence that the said amount represent payment for the supply of 38.9 metric tons of white sorghum when you represented yourself as a Procurement Officer of Bua Food Plc which you knew to be false and 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."
Count three reads: " That you, Abubakar Sadiq Abubakar, sometimes in 2023, at Potiskum, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did fraudulently make a false documents to wit: (1) a BUA Food Plc supply agreement dated 10th December, 2024, in the name of Afreebak Nigeria Limited, Potiskum, Yobe State purportedly issued by BUA Food Plc for the supply of 38.9 metric tons of white Sorghum (2) as official statement purported to emanate from BUA Food Plc dated 7th October, 2014 (3) and acknowledgement of receipt of 38.9 metric tons of white sorghum purported to emanate from BUA Food Plc knowing all to be forged and handed same to Ibrahim Zakari Waziri, Shittu Ali Firi and Afreebak Nigeria Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 364 and punishable under Section 366 of the Penal Code Law Cap 102 Laws of Yobe State."
The defendant pleaded "not guilty" to the charges when they were read to him by the court, prompting the EFCC to put him to trial.
In the course of trial, prosecution counsel Mukhtar Ali Ahmed presented five witnesses and tendered several documents as exhibits before the court.
Justice Lawan thereafter, convicted and sentenced Abubakar on count one with an option of fine to the tune of N100,000.00 or serve ten years imprisonment. While on count two the convict is to pay a fine of N5,000 or serve two years imprisonment.
On count three, the convict is to pay a fine of N100,000 or serve eight years imprisonment while on count four the judge ordered him to pay a fine of N60,000 or serve seven years jail term.
The judge further ordered the convict to pay the sum of N29,175,000 to the petitioner or serve additional ten years imprisonment.
The convict’s journey to the prison started when he approached the petitioners and introduced himself as a procurement officer of BUA Foods Plc and issued fake receipts to them for the purchase of sorghum from the company. He collected the sum of N29,175,000 from his victims. He was thereafter arrested, prosecuted and convicted.
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