Businessman Bags Six Months Imprisonment for Misappropriation of Funds

Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, convicted and sentenced Ali Bukar Jidda to six months imprisonment.

He was jailed upon being arraigned by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on misappropriation to the tune of N1,126,000.00 (One Million, One Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand Naira only).

The lone-count charge reads: “That you, Ali Bukar Jidda, that sometime in June 2020 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being entrusted with dominion over certain properties to wit; N1, 126,000.00 by Umar Odo Soja, for the supply of food items did dishonestly misappropriated the said sum and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Act Cap 102 Laws of Borno State of Nigeria and punishable under Section 312 of the same law.”

The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.

Prosecution counsel, S.O Saka prayed the court to convict him as charged, while counsel for the defendant A. M Umar pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy.

Justice Kumaliya thereafter convicted and sentenced Jidda to a fine of N100,000.00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira only) or six months imprisonment.

The convict bagged his imprisonment for misappropriating a sum of N1.1 million entrusted to him for the supply of food items. He neither delivered the items nor returned the money to the petitioner.