16th January, 2014
A Nigerian high court in Kano, presided over by Justice Dije Abdu Aboki has sentenced one Bashir Ahmed Haruna to seven months imprisonment for criminal breach of trust and forgery. He is also to pay a fine of N200, 000.
The convict and his accomplice, one Abdul Awwal Yahaya, were arraigned on November 18, 2013 for conspiring among themselves to obtain over N2, 000, 000 (Two Million Naira Only) from one Mohammed Awwal Ustaz by presenting themselves as agents of Future University in Cairo, Egypt and offering to help secure admission for his children into the University.
Upon arraignment, they pleaded not guilty to a 7-count charge. But on January 8, 2014 Bashir Ahmed dramatically changed his plea as he pleaded guilty to a two count charge.
The trial judge consequently convicted him.
One of the counts on which Haruna was convicted reads, “that You Abdul Awwal Yayhaya and Bashir Ahmed Haruna sometimes in 2011 in Kano within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kano State with intent to defraud fraudulently used as genuine a forged admission letter in the name of Aisha Mohammed Umar purported to have been issued and signed by the authorities of Future University, Cairo, Egypt and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 366 and punishable under section 364 of the Penal Code”.