Crime

Court Jails Woman 3 Years Over N3m Fraud

ByHafsoh Isiaq

PublishedFebruary 3, 2024

A High Court in Gombe State presided over by Justice Abdul Hamid, has handed a three-year prison sentence to Rose Dogara Silas Gyar for her involvement in a N3 million fraud related to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Anchor Borrowers’ programme.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, disclosed this development in a statement released on Friday.

Gyar, prosecuted by the EFCC’s Gombe Zonal Command, pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of cheating to the tune of N3 million, a violation of Section 322 of the Penal Code.

According to the EFCC, the convict, alongside Mohammad Babayo Maina currently at large, deceived the petitioner into parting with N3 million, claiming it was for enrollment in the CBN’s Anchor Borrowers’ programme.

The promise included funding and farm inputs from the apex bank.

However, the petitioner realized he had fallen victim to a scam when he received nothing from the bank and was unable to secure a refund from Gyar and her accomplice.

The lone-count charge against Gyar stated: “That you Rose Dogara Silas Gyar between 17th and 30th December 2021, at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honorable court dishonestly induce Saifullahi Sani Abdullahi to entrust to you the sum of N3,000,000 which you received via your company Gloprenuers Enterprises… by fraudulently representing to him that the sum has been paid as collateral for the agricultural loan facility approved for your company by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Anchor Borrowers program, a representation you knew to be false thereby committed an offense of cheating and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code.”

Having pleaded guilty, Gyar was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison with an option of a N20,000 fine.

In another incident, the EFCC operatives from the Gombe Zonal Command arrested Yusufu Tanimu for alleged Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card fraud in the state capital.

Tanimu was apprehended based on actionable intelligence regarding his suspected involvement in ATM card fraud at Ecobank Plc.

Upon his arrest, 33 ATM cards from different banks, a Tecno phone, and an ATM card holder were recovered from him.

Investigations are ongoing and Tanimu will be charged to court once the probe into his activities is concluded,” the commission disclosed.

Hafsoh Isiaq

Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.