THE Court of Appeal Sokoto Division has upheld the 14-year jail term handed to a Deputy Director of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) Ahmed Balarabe by a Zamfara State High Court for defrauding some job seekers of N8 million.
Balarabe was charged before Justice Bello Shinkafi of the Zamfara State High Court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for obtaining by false pretense.
The court was told how Balarabe, while being the coordinator of the FCC in Zamfara and Sokoto states between 2017 and 2018, collected over N8 million from unsuspecting job seekers with the promise of giving them jobs, thereby contravening Section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006.
Justice Shinkafi then sentenced Balarabe to 14 years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N500, 000 and also ruled that the convict returns N7 million to the victims of the crime.
However, not pleased with the ruling, the convict had approached the appellate court to quash the trial court’s judgment.
Counsel to Balarabe, A. Y. Abubakar argued that the court should dismiss the judgment but ICPC counsel, Mashkur Salisu, argued that the conviction was in line with the provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006 violated by Balarabe.
Having listened to the argument from the two counsels, the court unanimously dismissed the appeal on the ground of lack of merit and affirmed the trial court’s decision.
A reporter with the ICIR
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