Accountant bags 18-year jail term for defrauding church

After being found guilty of defrauding the Church of Brethren in Nigeria of N15.5 million, Ibrahim Aku, has been given 18 years jail sentence by a High Court in Yola, Adamawa State, on Monday.

In a court testimony against the criminal, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed that Aku defrauded the church of N15.5 million between 2016 and 2018.

According to Daily Tribune, The money, the EFCC said, was generated by the church members through offerings, donations, and tithes. He pleaded guilty. Delivering judgment, Justice Nathan Musa, convicted Aku on six counts, bordering on forgery and obtaining money by false pretense. He was not given any option of fine.

In order to ensure the convict pays back the money, the judge ordered the sale of the crime proceeds recovered during the investigation by appointing valuers to sell and remit to the church.

Speaking shortly after the verdict, Bello Bajoga, of the Public Affairs Department of EFCC, said the judgment was “on course”.

“The convict was entrusted with church money and he ended up diverting the money and forged tellers and presented same as genuine, to serve as evidence of payment of the remittance,” Bajoga said. (NAN)