Ex-Chair, Sec. of College Cooperative Dock Over ₦6.3m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday, 6th December, 2018, arraigned Musa Inuwa Arab and Mohammed Tukur Bappa before Honourable Justice Abubakar Jauro of State High Court 9, Gombe, Gombe State on Three count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and criminal breach of trust.

The journey of the accused started when in October, 2014 the law firm of H. A. Saleh & Co, on behalf of members of the Federal College of Horticulture Multipurpose Co- operative Society, Dakin Kowa, Gombe State did a petition against Musa Inuwa Arab and Mohammed Turku Bappa on allegations of misappropriation and diversion of monies belonging to members of the association.

The petitioner alleged that the suspects, while in office, secretly obtained a loan facility to the tune of ₦10, 000, 000 (Ten Million Naira) in the name of the association from First Bank, Gombe branch, using account number 2013468954 at 23% interest rate without the consent and approval of the association’s Congress. The loan, the petitioner alleged was misappropriated and diverted for personal.

One of the count charge reads “That you Musa Inuwa Arab and Mohammed Turku Bappa sometimes between 2009 – 2010 while being the Chairman and Secretary of Federal College of Horticulture Staff Multipurpose Co-operative Society, Dadin Kowa, at Gombe, Gombe State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while entrusted with the properties (monies) of members of staff Multipurpose Co-operative Society, Dadin Kowa, to the tune of ₦6, 303,514.00 (Six Million Three Hundred and Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Fourteen Naira), dishonestly misappropriates the properties (monies) thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Law, Laws of the Northern Nigeria and punishable under Section 312 of the same law”.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the three count charge.

Prosecution Counsel, Barr. A.Y. Mutaka and Barr. A.M. Labaran asked for a date for trial.

Defence Counsel, Barr. Abdulahi Inuwa moved his application for bail and adopted his written addresses while urging the court to grant the applicants to bail.

The court granted the accused persons bail on the same terms and conditions as EFCC administrative bail.

The matter was adjourned to 7th January, 2019 for hearing.