Idris Yahaya, the Auditor-General for Local Government, has received a five-year term from Justice Muhammad Lawan of the Yobe State High Court.
Yahaya was found guilty by the court of misappropriating N19.9 million, which was the charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Maiduguri Zonal Command. Wilson Uwujaren, a spokesman for the EFCC, revealed yesterday that Yahaya had received funds from the Yobe State Office of the Auditor General for Local Government and Emirate Affairs for the purchase of a 2015 Toyota Corolla for official use, but had also diverted some of the funds for personal use.
When the defendant was initially charged on November 9, 2022, he entered a not-guilty plea, paving the way for his trial. During the trial, Mukhtar Ahmed, the attorney for the EFCC, called four witnesses and presented papers that were accepted as evidence.
Yesterday, Justice Lawan handed down his ruling and stated that the defendant had been found guilty of all charges since the prosecution had proven its case. As a result, he gave him a five-year term with the possibility of a fine.
The defendant was additionally ordered by the judge to pay the state government N10.1 million in restitution through the EFCC or serve an extra two years in prison.
