Gombe Court Jails Charcoal Producer Association President Over Fraud

A Gombe State High Court presided over by Justice H.H. Kereng, has convicted and sentenced Edu B. Azeez, President of National Association of Charcoal Producers and Exporters to one year imprisonment over fraud.

Azeez and his company, Ablims Limited were jailed on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to a two-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining under false pretence.

The convict’s journey to the Correctional centre began when a petitioner alleged that he defrauded him of the sum of N7m and all efforts to regain his money proved abortive.

He was arraigned by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on two count charges.

One of the count charges reads : “That you Edu Babatunde and Ablims Limited sometimes in December, 2022 at Gombe , Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court fraudulently obtained the sum of N7,183, 750.00 ( Seven Million One hundred and Eighty – Three Thousand and Seven Hundred and Fifty naira ) from one Ayanbisi Ismail by falsely representing the money to be for exporting charcoal to Saudi – Arabia , a representation which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the penal Code Law.”

Another charge reads: “That you Edu Babatunde and Ablims Limited sometimes in December 2022 at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court conspired amongst yourselves to do an illegal act to wit : cheating and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 and punishable under Section 97(2) of the Penal code Law.

Consequent upon his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, A.B Kware urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant as charged, but counsel to the defendant, Inusa Mahammed pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as the defendant is a first time – offender.

After listening to the counsels, Justice Kereng convicted and sentenced Azeez and his company to one year imprisonment with an option of N200k as fine