The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned court registrar’s, Ado Shehu, Ali Muhammad and Abba Sanusi, who work with the Sharia Court, Kano State, before the state High Court for theft.
The three defendants where docked on three count charges bordering on theft and receipt of gratification.
According to the anti graft agency, the defendants connived with a banker to forged a death affidavit of an account holder who has not operate his account for years concluding that the owner of the account, Sanusi Yakubu, was dead.
EFCC Prosecutor, Zarami Mohammed, told the court that when the complainant returned to Nigeria from Saudi Arabia where he resides, discovers that his account with over one million naira had been emptied.
“One of the suspects, a worker in the bank, (now deceased) reportedly contacted his suspected accomplices, namely, Ado Shehu, Ali Muhammad and Abba Sanusi, who work with the Sharia Court, Kano State, to obtain court documents stating that the account owner was dead, and that, as his heirs, should be given access to his money.”
The defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them.
In view of their plea, prosecution counsel, Zarami Mohammed, asked the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service.
However, defence counsel, Rabiu Sani, made an oral application for bail for the defendants.
After entertaining submission of counsels, Justice Amina Aliyu admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of one hundred thousand naira each and two sureties in like sum.
She ordered them to be remanded in the custody of NCS pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions while adjourning til November 14, 2019 for hearing.
