Court Registrar arraigned for alleged misappropriation of dead man’s N3.8m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned Abubakar Dandare, a Registrar of the Upper Sharia Court in Gusau, Zamfara State, for alleged forgery and misappropriation of a dead man’s N3.8 million.

EFCC counsel, Peter Attah, told the court on Wednesday that he committed the alleged offence on December 4, 2012.

Attah alleged that the defendant, who was entrusted with a N3. 8 million retention fee paid by the Zamfara State Ministry of Finance for the family of late Alhaji Ladan Mada, dishonestly misappropriated the money.

The EFCC said that the offence of criminal breach of trust is contrary to section 311 of the Penal Code CAP 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963 and is punishable under section 312 of the same law.

Attah also alleged that Dandare forged the signature of Mada on the Court Cash Deposit register of the court to retain the money.

The offence, the prosecution said, is contrary to section 363 of the penal code CAP 89 Laws of Northern Nigeria 1963 and punishable under Section 364 of the same law.

The Defence Counsel, Bello Umar, observed that the laws on which the accused was arraigned before the court were all repealed following the passage of the Zamfara State 2022 penal code.

Umar therefore prayed the court to dismiss the case.

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The Presiding Judge, Justice Bello Shinkafi, admitted the defendant to  bail in the sum of N5 million and two sureties in like sum.

The judge also ordered the sureties must deposit two passport photos and their phone numbers with the court.

Shinkafi adjourned the case until June 6, 2024 for further mention.