A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High court sitting in Gudu on Monday sentenced a Director in the Police Pension Office, John Yakubu Yusuf to six years imprisonment or the option of N750, 000.00 fine for criminal conversion of money meant for pensioners.
Mr Yusuf pleaded guilty to three count charge of criminal conversion of N23.3 billion for personal use.
Justice Abubakar Talba also made an order for the forfeiture of 32 properties belonging to the convict in the FCT and GOMBE state and the sum of N325, 185, 857.00 only.
Mr Yusuf, who was tried alongside a former Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Head of Service, Abubakar Kigo and four others, including Sani Habila Zira, Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, was charged with criminal breach of trust by public officers. They are alleged to have stolen the sum of N3.8 billion pension funds; an offence contrary to Sections 37and 315 of the Penal Code Act, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Nigeria, 2007.
Counts one and 2 of the charges read as follows: “That you Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusuf, AtikuAbubakar Kigo, Mrs. Veronica Ulomna Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira between January 2009 and June 2011 at Abuja Division of the High court of the Federal Capital Territory agreed to do an illegal act, to wit. Criminal breach of trust by public officers in respect of the sum of N14, 518, 567, 724.36 (Fourteen Billion, Five Hundred and Eighteen Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty Four Naira and Thirty Six kobo) and that the same act was done in pursuance of the agreement among you and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria 2007.
“That you Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, John Yakubu Yusuf, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Mrs. Veronica UlomnaOnyegbula and Sani Habila Zira between January 2009 and June 2011 at Abuja Division of the High court of the Federal Capital Territory, being public officers in the service of the Government of the Federation and in such capacity entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of N14, 518, 567, 724.36 (Fourteen Billion, Five Hundred and Eighteen Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty Four Naira and Thirty Six kobo) which sum formed part of the Nigerian police pension funds in the account domiciled at First Bank of Nigeria Plc., committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, and you thereby committed an offence and that the same act was done in pursuance of the agreement among you and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria 2007…”