The Supreme court on Wednesday affirmed the six-year jail term imposed on a former Assistant Director in the Police Pension Office, John Yakubu Yusuf.
Yusuf was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a Twenty–two Billion, Nine Hundred Million Naira (N22.9b) fraud.
In a judgment read by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, the apex court also ordered the Yusuf to refund N22.9b to government coffers.
Yusuf is one of the six civil servants facing prosecution for allegedly stealing N32.8 billion from the Police Pension Fund. He was initially convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N750,000 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira only) by a Federal Capital Territory High Court presided over by Justice Abubakar Talba.
Dissatisfied by the judgement, the EFCC approached the appellate court to set aside the judgment. He pleaded guilty to the three counts and thereby admitted to the conversion of an aggregate sum of about N24 billion to his personal use. He was therefore sentenced to six year in prison and ordered to return the stolen N22.9billion.
In his appeal to the Supreme Court, Yusuf prayed the apex court to set aside his conviction and the order to refund N22.9b on the ground that the Court of Appeal judgment was a miscarriage of justice, according to the commission.
However, the Supreme Court today upheld the decision of the appellate court.
The commission said it rearrested Yusuf in June 2020. He has been on the run since 2018 after the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, sentenced him to six years imprisonment and a fine of N22.9 billion, for conniving with five others to steal N32.8 billion of the Police Pension Fund.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
