Justice J.A Kereng of the Gombe State High Court sitting in Gombe on Friday, May 30 2024 convicted and sentenced the duo of Umar Bakari and Musa Aliyu Hinna for land fraud to the tune of N3, 525,000( Three Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Five Thousand Naira) only.
Bakari and Hinna were jailed after pleading guilty to one-count separate charges of intent to defraud preferred against him by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
The charge against Umar Bakari reads: “That you Umar Bakari and Shehu Adamu (now convict) sometimes in February 2022 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud obtained the aggregate sum of N525,000 (Five Hundred and Twenty- Five Thousand only) from David Ibrahim by falsely representing to him that the money was payment for your landed property located at Shango- hamma District Tumfure of Gombe State and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 322 of same Law.”
The charge against Musa Aliyu Hinna reads: “That you Musa Aliyu Hinna
also known as Umar Aliyu Marafan on or about October 15,2021 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N3,000,000 (Three Million Naira) only through your account number 1003713276 with Account name: Aliyu Hinna Musa property of one Umar Musa Umar which you claimed that the money was payment for your landed property located at Wajari yamaltu Debi, Gombe State and thereby committed an offence.contrary to Section. 320 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 322 of same Law”.
The defendants pleaded “guilty ” to their respective charges when they were read to them, prompting the prosecution counsel, SE Okemini to pray the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. However, counsel to the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as the defendants were first- time offenders
Justice Kereng thereafter convicted and sentenced Bakari to six- months imprisonment while Hinna bagged seven months and two weeks imprisonment.
The convicts’ journey to prison began when some petitioners alleged that they obtained an aggregate sum of N3,525, 000 from them for a landed property. They convicts neither delivered the properties to the petitioners nor returned their money to them.
