Court jails Immigration officers in Gombe, Bauchi

Justices H.H Kereng and Muazu Abubakar of the Gombe State High Court, Gombe, and Bauchi State High Court, Bauchi have convicted and sentenced Dabiet Onyemi Gilbert and Saleh Haruna to different jail terms for fraud.

Gilbert, an employee of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) was prosecuted on a one-count charge of obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N800,000 by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), while Haruna faced a two-count charge bordering on forgery.

Gilbert pleaded “guilty” to his one-count charge, prompting prosecution counsel, A.M Labaran to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

The defence counsel, Yusuf Ali, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, Haruna pleaded “guilty” only to count-two of his charges, prompting prosecution counsel M.Ugbe to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

Justice Kereng afterward convicted and sentenced Gilbert to one-year imprisonment with an option of a fine of N60,000, while Justice Abubakar convicted and sentenced Haruna to five years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 and adjourned till July 8, 2024, for hearing on count one of the charges.

Gilbert’s journey to prison began when his victim petitioned the EFCC after realizing that he had been defrauded over a non-existing Nigerian Correctional Services’ (NCS) job while all efforts to get his money back proved abortive.

Haruna, on the other hand, bagged his imprisonment when a petitioner alleged that he conspired with one Mohammed Mustapha Sallah to defraud him of the sum of N950,000 being payment for a landed property, which he neither took possession of nor his money returned to him.

Meanwhile, the Gombe Zonal Command of the EFCC on June 25, 2024, arraigned Haruna’s alleged accomplice, Mohammed Mustapha Sallah before Justice Abubakar. He is facing prosecution on three counts of charges, bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and intent to defraud.

He pleaded “not guilty” to all three count charges, following which prosecution counsel, M.Ugbe asked the court for a trial date, adjournment, and for the defendant to be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCS), while the defence counsel, Mohammed Hassan pleaded for a short adjournment to fast-track the defendant’s release on bail.

Justice Abubakar remanded Sallah in Bauchi State Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till July 8, 2024, for the hearing of his bail application.