March 13, (THEWILL) -The Yobe State High Court has sentenced the Auditor General for Local Government, Alhaji Idris Yahaya, to five years imprisonment.
Yahaya was jailed on Monday, by Justice Muhammad Lawu Lawan, after he was found guilty of a one-count charge of criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N19,900,000.00 preferred against him by the Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, said Yahaya received funds from the Office of the Auditor General for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Yobe State, for the purchase of an official vehicle, a 2015 Toyota Corolla, and diverted part of the money to his personal use.
The one-count charge reads: ”That you, Yahaya Lawal Idris, being the Auditor General for Local Government, Yobe State, between the 20th to 21st day of May 2017 at Damaturu, Yobe State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, received the sum of N19,900,000.00 via your personal account number 1001480930 with account name, Alhaji Yahaya Idris, domiciled in United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) from the Local Government Audit Account Number 5030030060 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc for the purchase of a brand new Toyota Corolla 2015 Model, did dishonestly misappropriated the gross sum of N10,100,000.00 (Ten Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira) only.”
The convict, who was first arraigned on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, had pleaded not guilty to the charges, setting the stage for his full trial.
In the course of the trial, counsel for the EFCC, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, called four witnesses and tendered documents, which were admitted in evidence.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Lawan held that the prosecution has proved the case against the defendant and convicted him as charged.
He consequently sentenced him to 5 years imprisonment with an option of fine.
The Judge further directed the convict to pay the sum of N10,100,000.00 in restitution to the Yobe State Government through the EFCC or serve additional two years in prison.
