The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it has arraigned the Chief bailiff of High Court of Justice, Gombe Usman Zakari before Justice Haruna .H. Kereng of the Gombe State High Court 3, Gombe, Gombe State.
He was taken before the court on July 2 ,2025, on a one- count charge bordering on fraudulent conversion by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC.
According to the EFCC, Usman Zakari was October, 2023 entrusted with the auctioning of property subject of judgment enforcement in suit No. GM/329M/2023 which was auctioned in the sum of N14,000,000.00 while he was chief Bailiff of the High Court of Justice, Gombe State.
Parts of the statement reads, “On settling of the judgment debtor in favour of the judgment creditor (Ahmed Umaru) in the sum of N4,180,000.00 (Four Million, One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira) and thereafter dishonestly converted the sum of N9,820,000.00 (Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Twenty Thousand Naira) being the remaining balance from the auction which was meant to be remitted to the judgment debtor and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 308 and Section 309 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria respectively”
However, Zakari was quick to plead not guilty, which prompted the prosecuting counsel, M. O. Tijani to ask for a trial date and to remand the defendant in Gombe Correctional Centre.
In his argument, counsel to the defendant, Yusuf A.Aliyu, moved a motion for bail of his client.
Justice Kereng, having listened to both counsels, granted the defendant bail on self recognisance being a staff of the court and adjourned the case to July 30, 2025, for trial.
