Justice Abdulhamid Yakubu of the Gombe State High Court handed down a twelve-month prison sentence to Isiyaku Dahiru and his company, Zafran and Brothers Investment Limited, for orchestrating a N3.5 million fraud under the guise of a salt supply transaction.
The verdict, delivered on February 12, 2024, followed the arraignment of Dahiru and his company on a one-count charge brought by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charge accused them of cheating and fraudulent conversion, alleging that they deceitfully obtained N3.5 million from Usman Ahmad for the purported purchase of 700 bags of salt, which they never delivered.
The charge stated: “That you Isiyaku Dahiru and Zafran & Brothers Investment Ltd on or about 18th April 2022 in Gombe, Gombe State, fraudulently took the sum of N3,500,000.00 property of Usman Ahmad, claiming it was payment for 50kg of 700 bags of salt but converted it to your personal use, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 322 of the same law.”
Facing the charges, Dahiru and his company entered guilty pleas during the arraignment. In response, prosecutor counsel S.E. Okemini urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. However, the defense, represented by Sani Rabiu, appealed for leniency, emphasizing Dahiru’s remorsefulness as a first-time offender and highlighting the restitution of the embezzled amount to the victim.
Balancing both sides, Justice Yakubu deliberated on the plea for mercy but ultimately sentenced Dahiru and Zafran and Brothers Investment LTD to twelve months in prison.
The case unfolded when a petitioner accused Dahiru of inducing him to transfer N3.5 million into the company’s account for the promised supply of 700 bags of salt. Despite numerous attempts to secure the delivery or a refund, the petitioner was met with disappointment, leading to the legal action that culminated in the conviction and imprisonment of the fraudulent businessman.