Abuja court jails ex-director five years for N250m fraud

Abdulrahman Aliyu, a former director of Echo Logistics, was found guilty and given a five-year prison sentence by Justice F.E. Messiri of the Federal High Court in Abuja for his role in a N250,000,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) fraud.

Wilson Uwujaren, a spokesman for the EFCC, said in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja that the man was sentenced to prison on June 14, 2023, on three counts involving criminal breach of trust, forgery, and defrauding to the tune of N250 million.

The following was stated in one of the counts: “That you, Abdulrahman Aliyu, sometime between July 2018 and July 2019 within the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory while being one of the Directors of Echo Logistics Limited and having been entrusted with a certain property to wit: the sum of N250,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) transferred by one Alhaji Chubado Tijjani Babbi being investment money for the

The EFCC summoned five witnesses, presented nine exhibits, and rested its case during the trial, which got under way on November 9, 2021. On April 25, 2023, the prosecution and defense adopted their last written arguments; the judge postponed decision for June 14, 2023.

In his ruling, Justice Messiri found the defendant guilty on all three counts and sentenced him to five years in prison on each count: one year on count one with the option of a fine of N300,000.00 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira), two years on count two with the option of a fine of N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira), and two years on count three with the option of a fine of N500,000.00 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira).

The judge did not issue a restitution order, nonetheless, as Echo Logistics accepted responsibility and was giving the complainant’s income back.