Appeal Court Upholds 4-Year Jail Term for Finance Officials

By Paul Michael, Abuja

Appeal Court in Sokoto state, has affirmed the 4-year jail term handed to two finance officials of the Sokoto State Government, Mr. Kabiru Bello and Mr. Bashar Garba by the Sokoto State High Court.

The Trumpet recalls that Mr. Garba, before his conviction by the lower court, was the State National Union of Teachers treasurer, while Mr. Bello was before his conviction by a staff of the Sokoto State Ministry of Finance.

Earlier, the convicts were investigated and charged by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on allegations of fraud.

They, however, pleaded not guilty but after the trial Judge, Justice Mohammed Mohammed of Sokoto High Court heard the case, the two financial officers were found guilty.

The Judge therefore sentenced the financial officers to 4-years imprisonment each, and also ordered for the restitution of the proceeds of crime to the victims. Dissatisfied with the said judgment, they approached the Court of Appeal Sokoto Division through their Counsel Mr. Kelechi D. Ogbonna, urging the court to set aside the judgment of the trial court.

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A statement by the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, on Monday said the commission’s Counsel, Mr. Mashkur Salisu, argued at the Appeal Court that the convicts were sentenced accordingly by the lower court for contravening the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

“Having listened to the arguments from both counsel, the Appeal Court, in a unanimous decision, upheld the judgment of the lower court and dismissed the convicts’ appeal for lack of merit,” the statement added.