Justice Ahmad G. Mahmud of the Federal High Court, Sokoto, on November, 16, 2022, convicted one Hassan Bello, a Director with the Sokoto State Commodity Board and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on a count charge of obtaining money by false pretence.
The convict fraudulently obtained the sum N1.32 million in the guise of offering non-existent employment to hapless job seekers.
The charge read: “That you Hassan Bello, male, while being the Director, Administration, Sokoto State Commodity Board, sometime in August 2021, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of One Million Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira from one Aliyu Adamu Tsaki, Yusuf Abubakar, Yahaya Salihu Mohammed and others in the presence of one Dahiru Muhammad when you falsely represented yourself to them that you will secure employment for them in the Sokoto State Commodity Board and issued them letters of provisional appointments, a representation 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.”
The accused pleaded guilty to the charge upon arraignment.
In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, S.H Sa’ad prayed the Court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.
Justice Mahmud convicted and sentenced Bello to seven years imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine to the Federal Government.
The Judge also ordered the convict to pay restitution of N850,000 to the victims through the EFCC.
Failure to pay the restitution within six months would result in the convict serving two years imprisonment.
