Binta Balarabe bags 10 years for N5.5m land scam in Kaduna

She was sentenced to ten-year imprisonment by Justice M. T. M. Aliyu of the Kaduna State High Court on one count charge of cheating.

In the charge, Binta, in August 2020, induced Yahaya Mohammed Idris to deliver N5,500,000 “for the purchase of a plot situate at No. C1 Block ‘PR’ on TPO 833A revised Kaduna Millennium City Mixed Commercial Layout when you claimed to be the owner”.

The offence was contrary to Section 306 (a) and punishable under Section 307 of the Penal Code Laws of Kaduna State, 2017.

Binta pleaded guilty to the charge. Prosecution counsel, J. Musa urged the court to enter the terms of a plea bargain agreement as the judgment.

The defence counsel, Sule Shu’aibu asked the court to temper justice with mercy, assuring the defendant has been remorseful.

Justice Aliyu convicted and sentenced Binta with an option of N200,000 fine. The defendant already made a restitution of N5,500,000 to Idris.

Trouble started when Idris wrote a petition to the EFCC revealing how he paid for a land at the Millennium City Commercial Layout.

The complainant said he later discovered that the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) was fake.