Three
bankers have been sentenced to 91 years imprisonment for conspiracy, forgery,
theft and criminal breach of trust.
The
convicts, identified as Suleiman Ibrahim Musa, Bilyaminu Usman and Lawal
Suleiman are all former staff of First City Monument Bank Plc in 2011,
Birnin-Kebbi branch in Kebbi State. Their journey to prison started after the
bank’s management petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
The EFCC brought a 16-count charge against the bankers. They were convicted by Justice
Ibrahim Mairiga of the Kebbi State High Court.
According
to the EFCC image maker, Wilson Uwujaren, the convicts, were first arraigned on
July 21, 2010, and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Uwujaren
said: “Musa, who was then the head of operations, defrauded the bank of N101,
707,000; Usman and Suleiman, both tellers connived to defraud the bank of N6,
627,500 and N6, 267,500 respectively. The crimes were committed between 2008
and 2010. They had at different times debited the bank’s customers by carrying
out unauthorized withdrawals.
“They
were arrested by EFCC operatives following a petition by the bank’s management,
after several customers lodged complaints alleging fraudulent deductions from
their bank accounts. They had backed up their claims with various documentary
evidences - stamped deposits and investment certificates.”
Uwujaren noted that after five years
of trial, Justice Mairiga, having been convinced by the evidence brought before
him by the prosecuting counsel, Aisha Habib, found them guilty of the charges.
“By
considering the amount involved and weight of evidence presented before the
court by the prosecution, which was never challenged by the defence, it shows
that their wrongful act caused a great injury to the bank,” the judge said. “I
therefore, find the accused persons guilty as charged, and so convict and sentence
them to 55 years, seven years and 29 years imprisonment respectively without an
option of fine, with the jail term to serve concurrently.”
The
judge also ordered the convicts to return the stolen money to the bank.
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