Pension fraud: S/Court affirms six-year jail term for ex-pension director, Yusuf

The Supreme Court has affirmed the six years of jail term imposed on a former Federal Director of Pensions, Mr John Yakubu Yusuf and also ordered him to refund the sum of N22.9 billion to the Federal Government.

The N22.9 billion 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 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.

The apex court, in a judgement delivered on Wednesday, held that Yusuf and others engaging 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 years jail term against him was frivolous, vexatious and devoid of merit.

He further held that victims of the convicted Director deserved restitution which can only be achieved through justice.

Yusuf had dragged the Federal Government before the apex court seeking to set aside the six years imprisonment slammed on him by the Court of Appeal.

The former pensions director, who is serving the six years jail term at the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja, also asked the Supreme Court to set aside the sum of N22.9 billion he was ordered to refund to the Federal Government by the Court of Appeal in a 2018 judgment

He 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.

In his appeal lodged with the Supreme Court, he prayed the apex court to set aside his conviction and the order that he should refund N22.9 billion.

His main grouse is that the Court of Appeal mis-carried justice in its judgment.