Court Acquits Ex-Governor’s Former CSO Of Alleged N80Million Property Fraud
Court Acquits Ex-Governor’s Former CSO Of Alleged N80Million Property Fraud
Delivering judgment on Friday, the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman, held that the prosecution failed to establish any of the five counts against Rabiu beyond reasonable doubt.
The Adamawa State High Court has discharged and acquitted retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sheriff Abubakar Rabiu, a former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to ex-Governor Murtala Nyako, ending a prolonged criminal trial over the alleged conversion of properties valued at N80 million.
Delivering judgment on Friday, the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman, held that the prosecution failed to establish any of the five counts against Rabiu beyond reasonable doubt.
The court consequently discharged and acquitted the former police officer of all allegations bordering on criminal breach of trust and related offences filed against him by the Adamawa State Government following complaints linked to his former principal.
SaharaReporters extensively covered the proceedings throughout the trial, which culminated in Friday’s acquittal. Justice Abdulrahman ruled that the prosecution failed to present credible and convincing evidence sufficient to sustain the charges.
“The prosecution has failed to prove the ingredients of the offences charged beyond reasonable doubt,” the judge held before entering a verdict of acquittal on all five counts.
Reacting to the judgment, Rabiu’s counsel, Roland Emem, described the verdict as a victory for justice, praising the Chief Judge for “standing firmly on the law despite the lengthy proceedings.”
The case dates back to November 2021 when the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested and detained Rabiu following a petition allegedly written on behalf of Sebore Farms Limited, a company linked to the Nyako family.
The petition accused him of fraudulently converting two landed properties valued at N80 million.
According to the prosecution, Rabiu had been instructed while serving as Nyako’s CSO to purchase the properties on behalf of Sebore Farms but allegedly altered the ownership documents to another company before later selling the properties after Nyako’s impeachment in 2014.
He was arraigned before Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman on November 12, 2021, on a five-count charge in Suit No. HC/ADSY/77CA/2021.
The arraignment itself was dramatic.
Rabiu’s initial lawyer, Gabriel Adikwu, withdrew from the matter in open court, alleging a breach of confidentiality after a memo he had written to the DSS was leaked. The defence subsequently sought bail on health grounds, which the court granted under stringent conditions, including a N100 million bond and a reliable surety.
The proceedings dragged on for years, punctuated by several adjournments, many caused by the prosecution’s inability to produce witnesses.
One of the most notable delays occurred in July 2022 when the trial could not continue because the prosecution’s final witness failed to appear in court, forcing another adjournment.
As the defence opened its case, Rabiu denied diverting the properties, insisting that payments for the disputed land were made from his personal bank account and challenging the prosecution’s claims of ownership.
The defence also presented evidence questioning the legal status of entities central to the prosecution’s case, including Sebore Farms Ltd and Sebore Export Process Zone.
The trial continued into 2025 and early 2026 before both parties adopted their final written addresses, paving the way for Friday’s judgment.
With Friday’s verdict, the nearly five-year criminal trial has come to an end, as the court held that the prosecution failed to prove its case against the former police officer.
