A Chief Magistrates Court in Kano sitting at Gyadi-Gyadi Court road has convicted and sentenced Bukar Galadima and Suleiman Ahmed for defrauding Kano billionaire Alhaji Aminu Dantata and the immediate past Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo.
The convicts conspired to defraud Dantata of N5 million and N1 million from the ex-minister.
Galadima impersonated former FCT minister Engineer Abba Gama pretending to be ill and sought medical assistance from Alhaji Dantata who sent 5 million naira and later discovered that Gana had not sent such a request.
Dantata reported the matter to the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission.
Subsequently the two were arrested and arraigned before Magistrate Umma Sani Kurawa who found them guilty of criminal conspiracy and sentenced them to 6 months’ imprisonment or a fine of 30000 naira, another 3 months for impersonation or 20000 naira fine and another 6 months or 20000 naira for breach of trust.
Counsel for the anti-corruption commission Zahraddeen Kofar Mata said the commission has also recovered 1 million naira taken from the former minister by the convicts. Although the minister had not listed a formal complaint, the fraud was discovered in the course of its investigation.
Kofar Mata said the duo were tried under section 129 (8) of the ACJL 2019 and were convicted accordingly.
Similarly, they were also ordered to pay compensation of N 5, 000, 000 or serve additional 2 years imprisonment.
