The Education Secretary (ES) of Mubi South local government area, Mr Jibrilla Babale, has been remanded by a Yola Criminal Area Court II for allegedly diverting 800 school bags donated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The school bags were donated for distribution to vulnerable school children mostly affect by insurgency in Adamawa State.
The presiding Judge, Hon. Musa Nuhu Garta, also ordered that Mustaspha Mohammed, Musa Mahmud, Aliyu Mohammed and Mohammed Yahaya be remanded alongside Babale for their alleged involvement in the diversion of the school bags.
All the defendants were charged to court for criminal conspiracy, breach of official trust and receiving stolen property.
Babale was said to be officially entrusted with the UNICEF school bags, to be distributed to pupils in public schools free of charge in order to support education sector in the state.
According to the prosecutor, the ES diverted 800 bags and gave it to the UNICEF Distribution Co-ordinator, Mustapha Mohammed, who in turn converted and sold some to Musa Mahmud of Mubi North at the sum of N330,000.
Likewise, Musa Mahmud later sold the bags to Aliyu Mohammed and Mohammed Yahaya of Mubi North respectively at the sum of N420,000, while knowing fully well that the bags were provided for distribution free of charge and not to be sold.
