Farming Scam: Man Jailed for Ten Years

Justice Darius Khobo of State High Court sitting in Kaduna on January 22, convicted and sentenced one Kamilu Tukur Ruma to Ten years imprisonment for obtaining N742,000 (Seven Hundred and Forty-two Thousand Naira) from one Zainab Garba as an investment in a phoney farming business.

After paying the said sum, Garba discovered that the farmland situated at Rigachukun Kaduna which the convict showed her, belonged to someone else.

The charge reads, “that you Kamilu Tukur Ruma sometime in April 2018 in Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court being entrusted with the sum of N 742,000,00 ( seven hundred and forty-two thousand Naira ) by Zainab Garba for the purpose that the money will be invested in a farming business located at Rigachukun, Kaduna dishonestly converted the said money to your use in violation of legal contract which you made regarding the sum and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 306 of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017 and punishable under Section 307 of the same Law”.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.

Given his plea, the prosecuting counsel, E.K Garba urged the court to convict the accused accordingly. However, the defence counsel, M.B Tanko pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as the defendant is a first time offender who had shown remorse.

After listening to the submissions by counsel, Justice Khobo convicted and sentenced the defendant to ten years in imprisonment with an option of N 100,000 (One hundred thousand Naira). He was also ordered to pay the nominal complainant the balance of her money within six months from the date of conviction or one-year imprisonment.