In response to alleged four-count accusations of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating receiving gratification in aspect of official act, and forgery, a Senior Magistrate Court has ordered two public workers employed by the Niger State government to be placed in a correctional facility.
The two are Aliyu Abdullahi from the State Universal Basic Education Board and Mohammed Kudu Yusuf from the Ministry of Mining, both of whom are residents of Minna.
The charges against them violated provisions of section 97,314,115 and 364 of the penal code law according to police prosecutor Inspector Aliyu Malami, who presented them for arraignment before the Senior Magistrate Court.
He stated that the accused persons deceived one Aminu Adamu of the Shango area of Minna and Bala Emmanuel of the Sauka-Kahuna area also of Minna and collected the sum of N280,000 to secure appointments in their various places of work.
Inspector Malami told the court,” You both jointly conspired among yourselves and breached the trust reposed on you. You intentionally deceived candidates into paying the sum of N280,000 under the pretence of offering them a provisional appointment with the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency and Niger State Basic Education Board, knowing full well that it is a fraudulent transaction and obtaining money under false pretence and converted same to your own personal use and issued them with forged and fake appointment letters.”
He said,” Upon receiving such report, the police detectives swiftly swung into action and effected the arrest of the two defendants who confessed to having committed the crime.
The police prosecutor disclosed that during further investigation, the sum of N180,000 was recovered and handed over to the plaintiffs.
When the charges were read to the defendants by the Presiding Senior Magistrate Ahmed Musa Aliyu, they all pleaded guilty to the offences.
Consequently, the prosecuting police officer applied for the conviction of both accused persons under summary trial in accordance with the provision of section 157 of the criminal procedure code (CPC).
However, a source close to the matter told Daily Post that the court lacks the jurisdiction to convict the affected workers as demanded by the prosecutor, hence they were ordered to be remanded in correctional custody pending when they would be taken to the court of competent jurisdiction for their conviction.
The source, however, explained that only a Chief Magistrate has the competent jurisdiction to pass a sentence on the defendants as the offence of forgery carried 15 years jail term.
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