The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on August 2021 arraigned one Ahmad Abdullahi before Justice M.T.M Tukur of the Kaduna State High Court, Kaduna on charges bordering on criminal breach of trust.
The defendant while being an employee of Atlas Portfolio Limited, a stock brokerage in Kaduna, diverted to persona use, monies to the tune of N26, 880,000.00 paid into the account for the acquisition of shares by a group of 39 customers, including a certain Hassan Usman.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Ahmad Abdullahi (M) sometime in 2019 in Kaduna, Kaduna State within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, being a servant in the employment of Altas Portfolio Ltd, and such capacity entrusted with a certain property, to wit: the sum of N900,000.00 (Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) only given to you by one Jabir Abdullahi Muhammad, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 299 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017”.
Another count reads: “That you, Ahmad Abdullahi (M) sometime in 2020 in Kaduna, Kaduna State within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, being a servant in the employment of Atlas Portfolio Ltd and in such capacity entrusted with a certain property, to wit: the sum of N1,100,000.00(One Million One Hundred Thousand Naira) given to you by one Jabir Abdullahi Muhammad, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 299 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017”
The suspect pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.
Upon his plea, the prosecution counsel M. E Eimonye asked the court to fix a date for trial and that the defendant be remanded in a Custodial Centre. But, the defense counsel, Sule Shuaibu applied orally for the bail of his client.
Justice Tukur granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N15 million and one surety in like sum. The surety must be either a serving civil servant on Grade Level 16 or above in either the State or Federal civil service, or a principal staff of a prominent company on the same level or grade.
The case was adjourned till November 18, 2021, for trial.