Justice Mu’azu Abubakar of the Federal High Court in Bauchi has sentenced two former accounts officials of Bauchi State Government to prison for financial misappropriation.
Kawu Chindo, a former Chief Accountant of Bauchi State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Board and Ali Baba of the Office of the Accountant-General of the State, were arraigned before the court by Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
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The duo were accused by the Bauchi State Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, of issuing fake tellers and receipts as evidence of payment to intending Pilgrims to the 2019 Hajj to Saudi Arabia.
Following a petition by the state government, EFCC investigated and dragged the two before the court, accusing them of conspiring to appropriate to themselves public funds to the tune of N73.7million by diverting the said amount to their personal accounts with the intention of defrauding the government and the innocent people who paid the money, thereby committing the offence of fraud.
Delivering judgment in the case on February 16, Justice Abubakar found the defendants guilty of the charge filed against them by EFCC, and accordingly, sentenced Chindo to seven years imprisonment, while Baba was sentenced to three months imprisonment.
