The Supreme Court of Nigeria has affirmed a six year jail term for Federal Director of Pensions (FDP), John Yakubu.
The Apex court also ordered Yusuf to refund 22. 9 billion naira to the federal government which was part of the police pension fund he admitted before a high court of the Federal Capital Territory FCT to have been misappropriated.
Justice Tijjani Abubakar while giving judgment in the appeal filed by Yusuf upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal which in 2018 sent Yusuf to six years imprisonment,in addition to the refund of the huge sum.
The apex court held that Yusuf and others who engaged in fraudulent practices must be told through court judgments that it is no longer business as usual.
Justice Abubakar said that the appeal of the former federal pension Director seeking to set aside the six-year jail term against him was frivolous, vexatious and devoid of merit.
Yusuf had dragged the federal government before the apex court seeking to overturn the six years imprisonment slammed on him by the Court of Appeal .
The former pensions director who is serving six-year jail term at the Kuje prison also asked the Supreme Court to set /aside the sum of N22.9 billion naira he was ordered to refund to the government treasury by the Court of Appeal in the 2018 judgment.
John Yakubu was sent to prison in 2018 by the Court of Appeal in Abuja upon being found guilty of defrauding the federal government to the tune of N22.9 billion naira through Police Pensions.
The former Director of Pension had at a high court of the Federal Capital Territory FCT in a plea bargain admitted diverting to personal use, N22.9Bn being pension fund entrusted to him by the federal government.
His admission of guilt at the high court followed a 3-count criminal charges bothering on breach of trust, diversion of N32.8Bn pension fund among others, brought against him by the federal government.
He was subsequently jailed two years by Justice Abubakar Talba but granted an option of N750,000 fine in lieu of the imprisonment.
EFCC went on appeal and on March, 2018 reversed the high court judgment and nullified it.
The Appeal Court stressed that the sentence of the high court did not serve as deterrence to both the convict and others rather imposed a jail term of six years on him and also ordered him to return N22.9Bn to the federal government as the complainant.
(Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe)
