Babagana Abatcha has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court for fraud to the tune of N9m. He was arraigned on one count of criminal breach of trust and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, the prosecution presented its witnesses and tendered several exhibits to prove its case. Delivering his judgment on Wednesday, Justice Fadawu sentenced Abatcha to two years’ imprisonment with an option of N500,000 fine.
The court also ordered the convict to pay N7.9m to the nominal complainant or, in default, serve six years’ imprisonment, which would run consecutively.
The charge read, “That you, Babagana Abatcha, sometime between 2017 and 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, being entrusted with care over certain property to wit; N9m by one Umar Gujja Ali, being payment for the execution of a purported contract awarded to you by a non-governmental organisation in Maiduguri, did dishonestly misappropriate the entire sum, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311of the Penal Code, Laws of Borno State, Cap. 102 Vol. 3 of 1994 and punishable under Section 312 of the same law.”
PUNCH