N6m fraud: Court convicts dismissed Kebbi poly lecturer

Muhammed Sani Nuhu, a former lecturer at Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Kebbi state, has been convicted of N6,173,400 fraud in a trial which lasted for two years. 

Nuhu was arraigned before the judicial division of the Kebbi state high court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The ex-lecturer was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on misappropriating funds belonging to the institution.

Mashkur Salisu, counsel to the ICPC, told the court that Nuhu, who has been dismissed by the institution, converted N2 million in 2015 and the sum of N4,173,400 in 2016 to personal use.

The ICPC said the monies were a special grant given to him to attend an international conference in Aberdeen, United Kingdom and the first tranche of payment advanced to him for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme at the University of Technology Malaysia respectively.

In charge no. KB/HC/4C/2020, the ICPC said the convict, refused to embark on the said programmes and converted the money to his personal use.

The commission said his action was contrary to and punishable under section 19 of the corrupt practices and other related offences act, 2000 and section 311 of the penal code.

The ICPC also said the offence was punishable under section 312 of the penal code law (Cap 89) laws of northern Nigeria 1963.

In his ruling, Hassan Usman, the trial judge, found the former lecturer guilty on counts one to three, and dismissed count four levelled against him.

With the conviction, the ex-lecturer faces 15 years imprisonment.