Justice Aisha Mahmoud of the Kano State High Court on Friday sentenced one Ismail Nuhu to one year imprisonment for issuance of dud cheques.
The convict was initially arraigned on March 15, 2018, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly obtained fertilizer worth N8,700,000 from a petitioner and issuing him four Diamond Bank cheques, which were returned unpaid due to lack of funds in the account.
However, while investigation was ongoing, the convict paid the sum of N6,000,000 and refused to pay the remaining N2,700,000.
One of the charges read,“ That you Ismail Nuhu on or about 5th day September 2017 at Kano within the jurisdiction of the Kano State High Court knowingly and fraudulently issued cheque number 34385478 dated 5th September 2017 for the sum of N3,900,000 (Three Million Nine Hundred Thousand Naira Only) payable to Continental Fertilizer Limited from your Diamond Bank account with account number 0092377270 knowing there was no sufficient funds standing in the credit of the said account and the cheque was returned unpaid when it was presented for payment thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1)(b) and punishable under section 1 (1)(b)(I) of the Dishonored Cheques Offences Act Cap D11 LPN, 2004.”
Nuhu pleaded not guilty and the matter subsequently proceeded to full trial, during which three witnesses testified against him.
However, when the matter came up on Friday, he pleaded guilty to all the five count charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, Musa Isah, to pray the court for conviction, while the defence counsel, Modube Speine, pleaded for leniency.
Justice Mahmoud therefore convicted the defendant according to his plea and sentenced him to one year imprisonment with an option of N400,000 fine.
Meanwhile, Nuhu is standing trial in another matter which has since been concluded and awaiting judgment before Justice Yusuf Ubale of the Kano State High Court.