The former Accountant, Pensions Account, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Garba Abdullahi Tahir, was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment by the Federal High Court, Abuja for stealing N26.1million meant for pensioners.
Graba was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 3rd, 2023. Abdullahi was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
One of the counts reads, “That you Garba Abdullahi Tahir (also known as Tahir Garba on or about the 12th April 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court converted the sum of N7,800,000.00 (Seven Million and Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) into a bank draft or Manager's Cheque in favour of CHARO Bureau de Change Ltd through your bank account with Ecobank Plc, which sum represented part of the proceeds of crime of criminal breach of trust committed by you in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation with the aim of concealing its illicit origin and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act”
Garba pleaded not guilty to all count charges leveled against him. Justice Inyang Ekwo said the prosecution had proved the case against the defendant and convicted him on all seven charges.
The judge sentenced the defendant to three years imprisonment on each of the seven counts. The sentences are however to run concurrently.