Money Laundering: Senior Lawyer Jailed 4 Years
Adetokunbo Fakeye
The Federal High Court Kano presided over by Justice Fatu Riman has convicted and sentenced one Yakubu Mohammed Na-Allah, a senior lawyer to four years imprisonment without option of fine for offences of money laundering to the the tune of Fifty Million Naira Only (N50,000,000).
The convict was arraigned by the EFCC on 14 January, 2013 on a two count charge of money laundering. Upon arraignment, Na-Allah pleaded not guilty and subsequently trial commenced on 26 June, 2013 in which the prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered fifteen exhibits.
On February 1, 2013 the properties of the convict were attached by the EFCC following an interim forfieture order issued by the same court.
Na-Allah’s journey to prison started when the commission recieved a petition that the 68-year-old Kano Lawyer, allegedly duped two of his clients to the tune of N50million part of the money recovered for his client in a case they filed against Ministry of Solid Minerals where the convict represented them.
The petitioner alleged that the convict after winning the case and the sum of Ninety Million Naira (N90,000,000) recovered, he gave his client only Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000) and converted the rest of the money to his personal use.
However, investigation by the EFCC revealed that the convict used part of the proceeds to acquire a palatial mansion in Sharada area of Kano.
In his judgment, Justice Riman ruled that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and subsequently convicted Na-Allah.
Prosecution counsel, M.S Abubakar urged the court to consider the forfeiture of properties acquired by the convict with the proceed of his crime.
Justice Riman sentenced the convict to serve two years imprisonment on each of the two count charge and also ordered that the attached property of the convict worth Fifty Million Naira at the time it was purchased be forfieted to the Federal Government. The sentences are to run concurrently.