Yobe Auditor General jailed five years for diverting public funds to personal use
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Idris Yahaya, Yobe Auditor General for Local Government, has been jailed for five years by the state High Court which found him guilty of stealing N10 million from N19.9 million earmarked to purchase an official vehicle.
Yahaya was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Muhammad Lawan accepted produced by the prosecution that Yahaya received funds from the Office of the Auditor General for Local Government and Emirate Affairs for the purchase of an official vehicle and diverted part of the money to his personal use, according to reporting by The Nation.
The charge sheet reads: “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 Honourable Court, received the sum of N19,900,000.00 via your personal account number 1001480930 with account name Alhaji Yahaya Idris domiciled in United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) from the Local Government Audit Account Number 5030030060 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc for the purchase of a brand new Toyota Corolla 2015 Model, did dishonestly misappropriated the gross sum of N10,100,000.00 (Ten Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira) only.”
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Witnesses and evidence in court
Yahaya was first arraigned on November 9, 2022 and pleaded not guilty to the charges, setting the stage for his full trial, per The Nation.
EFCC counsel Mukhtar Ahmed called four witnesses and tendered documents that were admitted in evidence.
The Judge held the prosecution proved the case against Yahaya and convicted and sentenced him to five years in prison with an option of fine.
The court directed him to pay N10 million in restitution to the state government through the EFCC or serve an additional two years behind bars.
