ADEMOLA, C.J.F. (delivering the judgment of the Court): The 1st Appellant was convicted in the High Court, Northern Region, holden at Kano, of an offence laid under sec. 315 of the Penal Code of the Northern Region relating to Criminal Breach of Trust in his capacity as a Banker; the sum involved being £100,089-8s-5d. He was also convicted of an offence under sec. 371 of the Penal Code of falsifying a clearing account relating to other Banks in what is known as the Impersonal ledger and also with forgery of a current account ledger. The other ten appellants were convicted each on a count of aiding and abetting the 1st appellant in the commission of the offence of criminal breach of trust.
The 1st appellant, who admitted the facts presented at the trial (except those relating to forgery), was at the time material to the charge the Manager of the branch of the Bank of West Africa at Fagge in Kano. He had authority to grant overdrafts to customers of the Bank up to a sum of £200 which mu…