Shari’ah Court Judges, Others Sent to Prison Over Alleged N500million Theft

Shari’ah Court Judges, Others Sent to Prison Over Alleged N500million Theft

  • The magistrate court in Kano state has given its final verdict regarding the alleged theft of about N500 million
  • In a fresh ruling on Wednesday, the court ordered the remand of three sharia judges and some judicial workers connected to the theft
  • The judges and their cohorts are accused of diverting N500 million meant for orphans, another report indicates

On Wednesday, January 18th, a chief magistrate court, Gyadi- Gyadi division in Kano state, ordered the remand of three Sharia Court Judges, and 12 other judicial workers at a correctional centre over alleged theft of about N500 million.

According to a report by The Guardian, they allegedly committed criminal conspiracy, joint act, criminal breach of trust by public servants, theft, and forgery.

Kano Chief Magistrate Court, Kano Sharia judges, registrars, workers
Sharia Court Judges in Kano land in prison over alleged N500 million theft. Photo credit: Kano State Government
Source: Facebook

Their crime revealed

The offenses violated Sections 97, 79, 289, and 315 of the Penal Code, Laws of Northern Nigeria.

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The court's ruling

The judges and registrars who were arraigned before the magistrates’ court in the state allegedly diverted the N500 million meant for orphans.

Interestingly, at their arraignment on Wednesday, the 15 defendants pled not guilty to the charges and the counsel representing them applied for the court to admit them on bail, Daily Trust indicates.

Case adjourned

The trial magistrate, Mustapha Datti, adjourned the case to February 1, 2023, for hearing and ordered the remand of all the defendants in the correctional centre.

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In a similar development, the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Akwa Ibom, Senator Bassey Akpan, has been sentenced to 42 years imprisonment for corruption.

Akpan's jail term was issued on Thursday, December 1, 2022, by the Federal High Court in Uyo, the state capital, through the presiding judge, Justice Agatha Okeke.

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Anti-corruption group reacts to court suit against the minister of state for petroleum

Anti-corruption group, Citizens Initiative for Better Nigeria, on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, asked the minister of state for petroleum, Timipre Sylva to respond to the allegations against him in a recent lawsuit.

This came on the heels of a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1563/2022 which was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative (TADI) against the minister.

The suit which has the Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and others as defendants, amongst other reliefs, accused the minister of identity theft, impersonation, and forgery.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institue of Journalism (NIJ), where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. In 2024, Esther obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.