The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Wednesday, in Abuja, affirmed the six years jail term imposed on former Federal Director of Pensions (FDP,) John Yakubu Yusuf.
He was also ordered to refund to government, the N22.9bn police pension fund he admitted before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory FCT that he misappropriated.
Justice Tijjani Abubakar in a judgment in an appeal filed by Yusuf upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal which in 2018 sent him to six years imprisonment, in addition to the refund of the huge sum.
Other members of the five-member panel including Helen Ogunwunmiju agreed with the judgement. Others on the panel were Musa Dattijo Muhammad, Centus Nweze, and Adamu Jauro.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja had, in a judgment on May 22, 2018, reversed an earlier decision of Justice Abubakar Talba of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which convicted him on a three-count charge and gave him an option of fine at N250,000 per count.
Agreeing with the N22.9 billion fine added to six years jail term, Tijjani Abubakar, who read the Supreme Court’s lead judgement, said it was in tandem with the gravity of the offence and its impact on retired police officers who are the victims of the crime.
“It must be made clear that victims are entitled to be compensated,” Mr Abubakar said, adding “I fully endorse the judgement of the lower court”.
He described the January 2013 decision of the High Court of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which initially sentenced the pension thief to two years’ imprisonment with an option of N750,000, as a mere slap on the wrist.
Justice Abubakar said the sentence imposed by the High Court was paltry and insignificant
“Considering the humongous amount stolen, the nature and gravity of the crime and its destructive effect on the country and its impact on retired police officers and the grave breach of public trust, a severe sentence that would deter the further commission of such a crime and prevent the convict from retaining any part of what he stole to avoid him obtaining financial benefit from his crime should be imposed,” Mr Abubakar said, echoing the words of the Court of Appeal on the case.
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