N500m Theft: Shari’a Court Judges Remanded

A Kano Chief Magistrates’ Court has ordered that two State Shari’a Court judges, 16 other financial registrars and a cashier be remanded in a correction centre for an alleged N500m theft.

The police charged Saadatu Umar, Bashir Kurawa, Tijjani Abdullahi, Hussaina Imam, Shamsu Sani and Maryam Jibrin-Garba with five counts of criminal conspiracy, joint act, criminal breach of trust by a public servant, theft and forgery.

Others are Sani Ali Muhammad, Bashir Baffa, Sani Buba-Aliyu, Garzali Wada, Hadi Tijjani Mu’azu, Yusuf Abdullahi, Jafar Ahmad, Alkasim Abdullahi, Mustapha Bala Ibrahim, Adamu Balarabe, Garba Yusuf, Aminu Abdulkadir and Abdullahi Zango.

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Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Zahraddeen Mata told the court that an official complaint was received on Aug. 20, 2021, from the Ministry of Justice by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission.

He alleged that Imam used her position as a cashier at the State Shari’a Court of Appeal and conspired with four others and one Suleiman, now at large, to forge letterheads of the Sharia Court of Appeal between 2020 and 2021.

”The two signatories to the Stanbic IBTC bank account 0020667440 belonging to the State Sharia Court of Appeal were forged by the defendants and stole N484 million.

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”The defendants fraudulently authorised the bank to transfer the amount to various accounts without the consent of the authorised persons. Also from 2018 to 2021, the defendants conspired, breached the trust as public servants, jointly acted and created 15 fake civil servants’ death benefit files and siphoned N96.2 million.

“The N96.2 million was remitted by the State Pension Fund Trustee to the bank accounts of Kano Sharia Court Appeal. And stole the amount through eight Sharia Courts under the State Sharia Court Appeal without the consent of the authorizing authority”, Zahraddeen Mata said.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

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The Defence Counsel, Garzali Datti, prayed the court exercises its jurisdiction judiciously and admits the defendants on bail.

According to the Prosecutor, the offence contravened the provision of sections 97, 79, 315, 287 and 363 of the Penal Code.

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The Chief Magistrate, Mustapha, however, ordered the remand of the defendants and adjourned the matter until Feb.1, for a hearing.