The Kaduna Division of the Court of Appeal today upheld the judgment of the Kano State High Court which convicted and sentenced a former bank manager, Samuel Owoyele, to 19 years imprisonment sometime in 2012.

Owoyele , a manager at the Union Bank Branch, Bank Road, Kano was prosecuted by the commission for offences bordering on Obtaining by False Pretence contrary to sections 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and section 371 of the Penal Code.

Upon his arraignment, the convict pleaded not guilty and the prosecution through its counsel A.T Habib presented ten witnesses and tender numerous exhibits to prove its case.

On the 20th day of June, 2012, the Kano State High Court presided over by Justice Dije Abdu Aboki found the accused person guilty on the three count charge that was preferred against him and convicted him accordingly.

The appellant was subsequently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on count one, and 7 years imprisonment on count 2 without option of fine. However, on count three, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment with option of N300,000 fine. While the sentence in count one and two were to run concurrently, the appellant was to serve consecutive sentence in count three.

Trouble started for Owoyele on when the commission received a petition from one Ashiru Munzali Gambo that the convict obtained the sum N27 million under the pretext that he had $185,000 to sell to him.

Being dissatisfied with the judgment of the trial court, the convict approached the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment of the lower court.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Bdlya Ibrahim all the issues raised by the appellant were resolved against the appellant and in favour of the respondents. The appeal was dismissed for lack of merit.

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