Dominic Bukuni , an aide of the Governor of Taraba state, Darius Ishaku, has been convicted of criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery and sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Bukuni was arraigned alongside a certain Bebeto Haruna by a Jalingo chief magistrates’ court on Friday, April 15.

The co-accomplice bagged 7-years in prison for the same offence.

The judgement was delivered by Chief Magistrate Yusuf Babasoro, who stated that the prosecution had argued its case beyond reasonable doubt that the accused persons were guilty of the said charges.

The verdict convicted Haruna of the 1st and 2nd counts for impersonation and cheating contrary to sections 132 and 322 of the penal code as well as a three-count charge of fraud to the tune of N3.5million.

According to the magistrate judge, Haruna duped 28 unsuspecting victims with the promise that he would help them secure employment at the Taraba State University, Jalingo.

The prosecutor, Mohammed Ibrahim had during the trial, told the court that Haruna and Bukuni committed the offences sometime between June and December 2013.

Ibrahim revealed that the two men conspired and impersonated Emmanuel Bwacha, a former senator, and Sani Yahaya, vice-chancellor of the Taraba State University.

He also told the court that the accused used the number – 08108989687 – to dupe one Philomena Umaru and 14 others: in Jalingo, of N2,245,000 under with the promise of getting them employment with the state university.

The accused also duped one Bala Yakubu and 12 others of N1, 420, 000 on the premise of giving their names to the vice-chancellor as candidates of Bwacha, in a bid to get employed.

The prosecutor implored the court to give the accused “the highest punishment”, stating that the offences violated the provisions of sections 97, 179, 322 and 364 of the penal code.