Manager Pleads Guilty To N16m Fraud

Juliana Francis

Mohammed Baba Isah, a manager in Damaturu-based MBC Synergy Limited, standing trial before Justice Ibrahim Wakil Jauro of the Yobe State High court, sitting in Damaturu has, pleaded guilty to a three-count charge, bordering on forgery and criminal misappropriation to the tune of over N16million.

 Isah is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial crimes Commission, EFCC.

His road to jail began on January 18, 2018 when a complainant brought allegations of criminal misappropriation, parade of counterfeit documents, including secondary school result and possession of forged stamp belonging to some banks against him to the Commission.

Investigations by the EFCC revealed that the complainant invested the sum of N25million in MBC Synergy Limited, where Isah works as manager for the purpose of doing telecommunications business, which the accused dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N16,463, 052 (Sixteen million, Four Hundred and Sixty Three Thousand Fifty Two Naira), out of the sum.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Mohammed Baba Isah being the manager of MBC Synergy Limited Damaturu, Yobe State, sometime in the year, 2017 at Damaturu, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and in such capacity dishonestly converted to your personal use the sum of N16, 463, 052, 00 (Sixteen Million, Four Hundred and Sixty Three Thousand Fifty Two Naira) only, being the proceeds from the N25,000,000 (Twenty Five Million Naira) only, invested in the account of MBC Synergy Limited for the purpose of telecommunication business and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under sections 308 and 309 of the Penal Code, Law of Yobe State of Nigeria respectively.”

The accused pleaded guilty to all the charges. Following the guilty plea, counsel to the prosecution, Khalid Sanusi made an application pursuant to Section 365 (b) of Criminal Procedure Code  and  Section 78 of the Penal Code, laws of Yobe State praying for an order of the court to commit the convict make restitution to the complainant to the tune of the financial lost incurred; while counsel to the accused F.A Akinola prayed the court not to hand a severe sentence to his client to enable him source and pay the money back to the complainant.

Though Justice Jauro found the accused guilty and ordered that he be remanded in the prison custody, he adjourned the case to February 19, 2019 for sentencing.