By Edwin Eriye
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Maiduguri Zonal Office on Monday, secured the conviction of one Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed.
The Defendant bagged two years with an additional N3000,000 fine from Justice Fadawu Umar of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on a one-count amended charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretense.
Trouble began for the convict when the Commission received a petition from the duo of Yerima Mukhtar and Abbas Sadiq Hassan, accusing him of issuing a fake grant offer to them for a plot of land they bought from him in Maiduguri.
Prosecution counsel, Benjamin Manji, led Dauda Umar, an EFCC detective in evidence, who narrated how the plot of land was sold to the complainants with a fake grant offer.
The charge reads: “That you, Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed on or about the 12th day of December, 2015 at Maiduguri, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court with intent to defraud, induced Yerima Mukhtar and Abbas Sadiq Hassan to part with the sum of N690,000.00 (Six Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira) under the pretense of selling to them a plot of land with grant No. 68 on BOT/159 situated at Polo, Maiduguri, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 and Punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law Cap.102, Laws of Borno State.”
He pleaded guilty to the charge, following which Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced him to two years in prison with additional fine of N300, 000. In default of payment of the fine, the convict will spend additional one year in prison.
