19th July, 2012
Justice Dije Aboki of High Court of Kano State has sentenced Mr. Idris Ado Zango, 31, an ex- banker who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to five years and nine months in jail for fraud.
He was however given the option of a six hundred thousand naira (N600, 000) fine.
Zango of No. 133 Zango Quarters, Kano was charged with obtaining money by false pretence, criminal misappropriation and theft.
His arrest and prosecution followed a petition by his former employer, Skye Bank Plc, when it discovered that he used proxy transactions, withdrawing without a cheque, to defraud some of the bank’s customers especially those he served as account officer.
Investigation showed that Zango had lied to the bank that one Alhaji Ismaila Almajir, the bank customer, had lost his cheque booklet and applied or requested for a new one on behalf of Almajir.
Having successfully obtained the new cheque book, started withdrawing various sums from the account.
He also fraudulently took some money from the account of another Alhaji Abudullahi Nasidi.
In all, he fraudulently withdrew N2, 540,000:00 from his victims’ accounts.
Justice Aboki, while convicting the accused said he took into cognisance his remorse, coupled with the fact that he had refunded the whole amount involved in the case.
The judge further said that he was comfortable with Zango because he did not waste the time of the court as he pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him by the EFCC.