The Adamawa State High Court has acquitted and discharged retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sheriff Abubakar Rabiu, a former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to ex-Governor Murtala Nyako, over allegations of converting properties valued at N80 million.
Delivering judgment on Friday, the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman, ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the five-count charge against Rabiu beyond reasonable doubt.
The court cleared the former police officer of all allegations relating to criminal breach of trust and other offences filed by the Adamawa State Government following complaints linked to his former principal.
Justice Abdulrahman held that the prosecution did not present sufficient credible evidence to support the charges, stating that the essential ingredients of the offences were not established beyond reasonable doubt.
Reacting to the judgment, Rabiu's counsel, Roland Emem, described the ruling as a triumph of justice, commending the Chief Judge for upholding the law throughout the lengthy trial.
The case began in November 2021 after the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Rabiu following a petition allegedly submitted on behalf of Sebore Farms Limited, a company associated with the Nyako family.
The petition accused him of fraudulently converting two landed properties worth N80 million. Prosecutors alleged that while serving as Nyako's CSO, Rabiu was directed to purchase the properties for Sebore Farms but instead altered the ownership documents to another company before later selling the assets after Nyako's impeachment in 2014.
Rabiu was arraigned on November 12, 2021, before the Adamawa State High Court on a five-count charge in Suit No. HC/ADSY/77CA/2021.
The trial was marked by several delays, largely due to the prosecution's inability to produce witnesses. During his defence, Rabiu denied the allegations, maintaining that he purchased the properties with his personal funds and disputing the prosecution's ownership claims.
The defence also challenged the legal status of entities central to the case, including Sebore Farms Ltd and Sebore Export Process Zone.
After nearly five years of proceedings, the court concluded that the prosecution failed to establish its case, bringing the long-running trial to an end with Rabiu's acquittal.