CASE NUMBER 10881:

DAKINGARIGATE CLOSED WITH 70 YEARS JAIL TERM

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Alleged Perpetrators(s)

Mohammed Arzika Dakingari Yusuf Musa

Location (Town / State)

Kebbi, Kebbi

Date of Event

20 Oct 2017

Date of republication

20 October every year

Case category (Choose all that apply)

Case Summary

The former Accountant-General of Kebbi State was rewarded with 70 years imprisonment by the Court of Appeal for siphoning N1.6 Billion Naira from the Kebbi State Treasury.

Full story

Mohammed Dakingari, who was the former Accountant General of Kebbi State owned and managed a company, Beal Construction Nigeria Limited during the pendency of his appointment as Accountant General. This is contrary to contrary to civil service regulation, which forbids serving officers from owning businesses. Three of Dakingari’s sons, Mohammed Bashir Mohammed; Anwal Sadat and Nasir Mohammed, as well as two of his brothers, Abdullahi Mohammed and Habibu Mohammed are directors of this dubious company. The company operates two bank accounts with Ecobank and Unity Bank, to which Dakingari and Yusuf Musa (the Managing Director) are signatories. Between May 2012 and September 2013, the company was used to as a front for several illegal transactions to which Dakingari was a signatory. Upon close investigation by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), it was discovered that Dakingari operated with two signatures. The first was used in his official capacity as Accountant General of Kebbi State while the second was used in his capacity as owner of Beal Construction Ltd.

Upon close investigation, the EFCC discovered an influx of about N1.3 Billion from the Office of the Accountant General and the Kebbi State Ministry of Finance into the bank accounts of Beal Construction Ltd within the period of May 2012- September 2013. Some of the contracts executed for the state for which Beal Construction received payments include the supply of furniture to 66 secondary schools in Kebbi State at N987 Million; the connection of water and drainage system at Kebbi Central Mosque at N110 Million and the building and partitioning of Mohammed Maira Secondary School for N247 Million. Further investigations revealed that |dakingari had enriched himself to the tune N1.6 Billion by awarding state contracts to his company at the expense of the Kebbi State Government.

Upon the conclusion of investigation, the EFCC on the 8th August, 2014 filed a 20-count charge of conspiracy of obtaining by false pretence and abuse of office against Mohammed Dakingari and Yusuf Musa before Hon. Justice Sabiu Bala Shuaibu of the High Court of Kebbi State. Ten of these counts were applicable to Dakingari. The trial court in its determination of the case convicted and sentenced Yusuf to six months imprisonment while it discharged and acquitted Dakingari on 27th day of May 2016.

The EFCC was dissatisfied with the verdict and appealed against the decision to the Court of Appeal, Kebbi Division. The Court of Appeal after a succinct re-evaluation of the evidence presented at the lower court, set aside the decision of lower court and convicted Dakingari to 7 years imprisonment for each of the 10 counts for which he was convicted. The Court of Appeal however declared that the sentence was to run concurrently, implying that Dakingari is to spend only 7 years behind bars.

It is interesting to note that Yusuf Musa, Dakingari’s confederate in crime who was charged together with him at the trial court and sentenced to six months imprisonment appealed against his conviction to the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal on the 8th December, 2016 affirmed Musa’s conviction and reviewed the sentence from six months imprisonment to seven years imprisonment. Still dissatisfied, Musa further appealed to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, and on 15th December, 2017, the Supreme Court in an unanimous decision dismissed the appeal and affirmed the sentence of the Court of Appeal, thus condemning Yusuf Musa to Seven years imprisonment alongside Mohammed Dakingari.

External links/URLs

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/246777-kebbi-states-top-official-bags-70-year-jail-n1-6billion-fraud.html

http://dailypost.ng/2017/10/25/accountant-generals-acquittal-upturned-bags-70-years-n1-6bn-fraud/

https://www.lawonlinerepor

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