From GODWIN TSA Abuja
Justice Adamu Bello of a Federal High Court yesterday remanded a former Director of the Police Pension Board, John Yakubu Yusufu, at the Kuje Prison in Abuja. Yusufu was on Monday convicted by an Abuja High Court for stealing N23.3 billion. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged him yesterday for allegedly stealing N289 million belonging to the Police Pension Fund.
The amount allegedly stolen by the former director is different from the N23.3 billion for which he was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail or pay a fine of N750, 000 by Justice Mohammed Talba of an Abuja High Court. Unlike his first arraignment, Yusufu pleaded not guilty to the fresh four-count charge slammed against him by the anti-graft agency.
His counsel, Mayaki Theodore, made an oral application for his bail which was opposed by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Justice Bello told the defence counsel to formally file the bail application and ordered that Yusufu be remanded at the Kuje Prison till March 1 when the matter comes up for hearing. Recall that the EFCC, which was miffed with the two-year jail, slammed a fresh four-count charge against Yusufu.
In charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/14/2013, Yusufu was accused of failing to make full disclosure of his assets and liability in the SY-A Global Services Limited, a company owned solely by him and immediate members of his family, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, CAP E12004. Count two reads: “That you, John Yakubu Yusufu, on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja, in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you, by not declaring your interest in the N250 million you lodged in a fixed deposit account with the Zenith Bank in the name of SY-A Global Services Limited, a company in which you are the sole signatory to its account and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act, CAP E1 2004”.
Count three: “That you, John Yakubu Yusufu, on or about 14th February, 2012 at Abuja, in the Abuja Judicial Division knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets and liability in the Declaration of Assets Form filled by you, by not declaring your interest in the sum of N10 million you lodged in a fixed deposit account with the First Bank of Nigeria Plc in the name of SY-A Global Services Limited, a company in which you are the sole signatory to its account and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 27(3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment, etc.) Act, CAP E1 2004”.
In count four, the convict was also accused of failing to declare his interest in the N29 million which he instructed one Danjuma Mele to fix in his company account in the name of Jidag Technical Services Ltd with Diamond Bank. Attached with the charge sheet are list of prosecution witnesses and list of exhibits, which comprised of statements of both the accused persons and that of the witnesses and other relevant documents, which include proof of evidence. Apart from the jail term, the former director is to forfeit 32 properties. He also forfeited N325, 187,867.18 cash.
The six accused persons in the police pension scam were first arraigned on March 29, 2012, on 16-count charges, bordering on conspiracy and criminal breach of trust. The other accused were Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs.Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula and Sani Habila Zira. Kigo was the director of the Police Pension Office before he was made Permanent Secretary.
Another accused person, Christian Madubuike, was included in the charge even as the name of Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang was removed from the list of accused persons due to her absence in court, she will be arraigned at a later date. All the accused pleaded not guilty to the amended charge with the exception of Yusufu, who pleaded guilty to counts 18, 19 and 20, paving the way for his conviction.
na police be the head master of corruption for naija. many of them built many houses from bribery–returns, egunje, magudi, wuluwulu, aka azu. some of them kill people sef, as in extra judicial killings and now somebody chop their pension and the whole country is screaming; na lie. police no good. na today you no say naija de convertible with corruption? abi?
THIS IS A CASE OF MONEY AND ONLY MONEY CAN SOLVE IT, MY GUY YOU ARE NOT WISE BECOS YOU DONT HAVE MONEY BUT MONEY IS HAVING YOU.MONEY IS FUCKING YOU NOW LIKE SWEET 16.YOU ARE A SLAVE TO MONEY
YOU ATE BECAUSE YOU SEE OTHERS EATING NOW OTHERS ARE FREE,ARE YOU FREE Mr BITTER AND UGLY FACE?
2 years with option of fine for stealing over #2B. Nigeria I hail thee. Somebody shd help tel Maku & Okupe to pls comment on dis victory against coruption by A VERY NOBLE JUDGE.
If somebody who stole public money in Billions could only be sentenced to just two years imprisonment or to pay just #750,000 in fine, what kind of signal is the judge himself sending out to the entire country. Now that i know if i steal public fund in Billions in Nigeria and get caught my judgement is going to be just two years behind the bar. Then i will do it, go away to prison for two years and later come out to enjoy my money. This can only happen in NIGERIA.
WHAT BAFFLES ME ABOUT THIS THIEF IS HIS AGE AND THE AMOUNT HE WAS LOOTING,DID HE INTEND TO ENJOY THE LOOT TO ETERNITY? WHAT A WICKED MAN! IAM SURE HIS FAMILY MUST BE USELESS
the courts in this Nigeria has failed us.how can some body who confessed of stealing billions of naira belonging to Nigeria’s be given only 2-years in jail? what a frustration, you so called judge’s are given to EFCC operatives in the fight against corruption.you stupid and corrupt judges freed ibori only for him to be jailed in the same offence in London.what a shame?.with this judgement,others still in civil service are warming up to steal more than that amount.
It is a shame that he got 2 years for stealing so much money. Is this blind justice or glaring injustice.Judges please don’t kill this country. Somebody steal foul, you give them 10 years with hard labour.
Speechless.
In nija even our judgement dey different nawa wo!if I can loot over 2b nd go 2 jail 4 just 2 years come out nd enjoy my mny thn of course……..we no go change wo!
That’s Nigeria 4 u there! Just 2years & even with option of fine of such meagre amount compared with d value of money he stole. My guess could b as yours! Who knows if d palms of d parties to judging d case haven’t been rubbed with some cash? And I still wonder why our banks & all other financial institutions remain drainpipes throuph which corrupt people launder stolen wealth in this country till date despite several legislations against money laundering. Oh Nigeria, as u lay ur bed so u lie on it. God, help us salvage this country from d grips of men your callous creatures, I beg thee, amen.
Naija is a country dat refuses 2 grow. Its a big shame. When i heard that verdict, i wept bitterly 4 dis country. Someone stole 23 bill naira n a judge gave him 2yrs jail or pay 750000 n be free. What a judgement. Bye d way how did he became a judge. He should be sacked. Until we learn how 2 deal with pple dat break law in dis country no matter how highly place or connected u r, we r going nowhere.
Why didn’t the judge order that he return the money he looted since he pleaded guilty?why did he get just 2 years jail term with option of fine of #750,000 when he stole billions?this is an insult to the sensibility of nigerians!
That judge deserves life jail for sure he has collected part of that money. Hopless entities, is why i like arab world cos they will stone the man and the judge to death. Idiots fooling their fathers thinking they are fooling us.
h0mmmmmmmmmmmmmm nijuria
John yusuf should be jailed for life in a prison where he will never see sun shine for the rest of his life.The judge that gave him light sentence should be investigated,because his judgement has call for suspection and he should be sanctioned.This thief have course so many death and untold hardship to senior citizen of this country who worked tirelessly and retired.Infact this man does not desire to live.
Nigeria is not the only country with currupt people, but is only thier methods of combating currupt practices that differ from other nations, that makes it look as if we are most currupt.It looks s if our judiciary is not independent because if only the as mentioned in the news stole from the judges’ personal account, he will know the right jail term to pronounce on such a thief. Let’s take for instance the case of the Italian prime minister[former) Monseur Belisconi. if more unfavourable conditions were attacht as a punishment for stealing of public funds our crime rates will reduce drastically.
May be somthin better may com out of this on the fress count charges by the efcc. They should do their hom work well & c if a better judg wil presid over ths one
The police and all the heads in there must be held culpable for this mess.This is an issue that concerns them yet it was as if nothing happened. I am sure while John Yusuf was there, many of them got either envelopes or Ghana must go bags from him to shut their mouth. Police, this happened under your nose for years and you can not raise alarm. I hope they will not see fund to pay you your pension when you people retire. As for the judge may hyenas devour your carcass meaning you will die where your corpse will not be retrieved. John Yusuf has no blame, he only taught us some hidden lessons. Were there no audits for police pension funds? We have Auditor General of the Federation, Accountant General of the Federation. Establishing this monumental fraud, the first thing would be to relieve them of there jobs. For those animals (Yusuf’s brothers and sisters in crime) that pleaded not guilty, all the monies traced to their accounts where did it come from as civil servants – MANNER FROM HEAVENS.
Its quite lugubrious how this so called federal government officers are misusing funds meant for the upkeeps of men and women who have diligently serviced the police department of this nation. From my coded and rightful source,this offenders of the law and looters were just giving only but two year in prison for stealing such mouth watering amount of money, like the case of cecilia ibru, who was persecuted,tried and convicted by the law was also giving two year in prison. If u ask me, I will do the same crime and go to jail for just two year and get away with the money rite ? A man who steals a goat in his clan and caught by the village vigilanty was also jail for two year like wise yusuf,cecilia ibru and the thief.
Hhmmm! This is very suprising, “stealing billions of naira and jst jailed for 2 years or pay a useless amount of money that doesn’t mean any thing to what he stole, he is nt even asked to refund it”. This is very detesting. This is clearly showing that corruption is on the run in Nig and can never be stopped. What a Shame NIG!?!
That High Court Judge should join John Yusuf in Kuje Prison if after the panel set up by the Chief Justice conclude their investigation and he is found culpable, which i am sure he is.
I don’t know if it’s legally acceptable that once an accused person pleads guilty to charges against him, upon conviction, receives linient sentence. If such was used in the case of Yusufu, i think the sentence is ridiculous compared to the level of crime committed and would not send any positive message to chronic looters of public treasury in Nigeria.
I felt so painful with the judgement, our judicial system is so corrupt that is why those who thief our money could go free in Nigeria. our lawyers who should serve as the last hope for the poor masses have turn the judicial system to place of mocking. just imaging what happen to Ibori in London and the penalty. I recall the story of a man who died in Enugu 2004 waiting for his pension salary. it is painful the law could dish away the hope of a poor man. May God bring leaders who are ready to serve the masses in our country
It’s crystally clear that the Federal Gov’t under GEJ is not only ready to fight corruption but heal bent at perpetuating CORRUPTION. How else can one justify a N750,000 fine or 2 yrs imprisonment for stealing over N2 billion. Iam sure that the next thing GEJ will do will be to ban the newspaper house to reporting the news or caution EFCC for sueing the man in question. It’s only in this Gov’t that you will be cautioned for doing the right things…Anyway, God help Nigeria.