The Maiduguri Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has closed its case in the ongoing trial of the Auditor General for Local Government, Yobe State, Alhaji Idris Yahaya before Justice Muhammad Lawu Lawan of the Damaturu State High Court, Yobe State.
The defendant allegedly obtained the said sum from the Office of the Auditor General for Local Government and Emirate Affairs, Yobe State, for the purchase of an official vehicle, a 2015 Toyota Corolla and diverted part of the money to his personal use.
The count read: ”That you, Yahaya Lawal Idris, being the Auditor General for Local Government, Yobe State, between the 20th to 21st day of May 2017 at Damaturu, Yobe State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, received the sum of N19,900,000.00 via your personal account number 1001480930 with account name Alhaji Yahaya Idris domiciled with United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) from the Local Government Audit Account Number 5030030060 domiciled with Fidelity Bank Plc for the purchase of a brand new Toyota Corolla 2015 Model, did dishonestly misappropriate the gross sum of N10,100,000.00 (Ten Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira) only being the money made for the purchase of the said brand new Toyota Corolla 2015 for the Office of the Local Government Auditor General, Yobe State, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Yobe State of Nigeria and punishable under section 309 of the same Law.”
Yahaya was first arraigned on Wednesday November 9, 2022, and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the sitting, prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, called four witnesses and tended several documents in evidence before closing the case of the prosecution.
The first prosecution witness, Rabiu Isa who is a car dealer in Kano told the court that sometime in 2017 the defendant came to his car stand and negotiated to buy a 2016 Toyota Corolla car for N9.8m and requested to be issued a blank receipt.
The PW3, Emmanuel Andrew, a representative of United Bank for Africa, narrated how the defendant withdrew the inflow of N19,900,000 from the account of the Yobe State Local Government Auditor General.
“On the 28th March, 2017 there was an inflow of N19, 900,000 from the account of Yobe State Local Government Audit to the defendant’s account and on the 21st March, 2017 there was a transfer of N9.8m in favour of NAZ Motors Limited for the purchase of a vehicle.
“On August 4, 2017, the defendant transferred the sum of N700, 000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) to one Shettima Babule. On August 15, 2017, there was another transfer from the defendant to Alhaji Gambo Haruna in the sum of N3.200, 000 (Three Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira),” he said.
Benjamin Young Etah an operative of the EFCC and PW4, told the court that upon receipt of a petition from Zero Corruption Hundred Percent Development against the defendant, his team wrote investigation activities letters to banks and responses were analyzed.
According to him, the petitioner alleged that Wakil included several names on the Government Payroll and acquired several properties worth millions of Naira.
“Investigations revealed that two quotations were submitted from two different companies namely El-Hmazat Investment and Brisco; while Brisco’s quotation was approved, the defendant went to NAZ Motors and purchased a vehicle and diverted the balance of N10.1m.
“One Alhaji Haruna Gambo who is a land vendor in Damaturu, Yobe State also received some amount of money from the defendant,” he said.
Justice Lawan adjourned the matter till December 7, 2022 for the defendant to open his defence.