Police Dock Fleeing Adamawa Commissioner, 2 Others For Criminal Conspiracy, Breach Of Trust
BY AUSTIN AJAYI, YOLA – A Criminal Area Court II sitting in Yola, the Adamawa State capital on Tuesday, ordered two Directors in the state Civil Service to be remanded at the Correctional Centre after a serving Commissioner in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Hon Sanusi Faruk, escaped from the court.
The Commissioner and the two Directors were docked for criminal conspiracy and breach of public trust to the tune of N1.728 million.
The directors are; Markus Yara Sawa – Ministry of Women Affairs and Iliya Ayuba – Ministry of Youth and Sports in Adamawa State
Both were charged to Court, alongside the Commissioner, for defaulting in payment of over N1.728 million loan obtained by the Commissioner from Staff Compulsory Savings (SCS) under the office of Secretary to the Adamawa State Government.
Sanusi Faruk, the first accused, was said to have approached the SCS through the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Political Department Yola, Adamawa state in October 2020 and collected N1 million “I owe you” with the promise to refund the money in December, 2020 on 20 percent interest totaling N1.728 million.
The two Directors stood as guarantors in the loan agreement which Faruk defaulted. Sanusi allegedly failed to fulfil his side of the bargain by not refunding the principal amount and the accrued interest. This default in paying the loan forced Cooperative members to have a bleak Christmas celebration.
Forefront gathered that since accessing the facility and up to when the matter was brought to Court, the embattled Commissioner was yet to make any payment, either the principal amount or interest accrued thereof as promised.
Irked by this ugly development, the Cooperative Union decided to approach the Court to recover its money.
This led to the arraignment of the Commissioner and two Directors as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants for criminal conspiracy and breach of trust before Hon Musa Nuhu Garta led-Court.
Upon appearance in court on Tuesday, the defendants (Commissioner and two Directors) did not deny being liable of the offence but pleaded with the court to grant them bail on self-recognition.
The threesome were granted bail by presiding Judge with a surety who must be a serving Commissioner, Permanent Secretary or Director with the sum of N1 million each.
But a mild drama ensued as Faruk, upon hearing the Judge’s pronouncement, pretended to be pressed and asked to ease himself during which he hurriedly entered his car and fled the court premises.
The presiding Judge, who felt embarrassed by the Commissioner’s conduct, ordered that the two Directors be remanded at the correctional service facility and further adjourned the matter to January 12, 2021.
The Staff Compulsory Savings is a Co-operative formed by more than 40 civil servants who make monthly contributions and also give out loans to individuals and their staff. The profits made from the financial transactions are then shared among members at the end of every year.
