Tobias Sylvester
Two officials of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been to 42-years imprisonment for receiving a bribe of N362 million from former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Maduekwe, during 2015 general election.
Each of the staff was sentenced to 21 years in jail on Thursday, December 12, 2019, by Justice Nathan Musa who presided over a high court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Ibrahim Mohammed and Sahabo Iya-Hamman before the court for conspiring to defraud the federal government with the intent to compromise the 2015 presidential election in Adamawa State.
The two convicts were arraigned alongside Maduekwe, who is still at large, under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Delivering judgement on Thursday, Justice Musa said that going by testimonies from 15 witnesses who appeared before the court and the suspects’ responses, it was clear that they were guilty of the offence.
Musa said that although N362 million was received by the officials, they only shared five per cent of the money to other staff of the commission leaving the balance unaccounted for.
He, however, said that following plea by their counsel, they have been sentenced to seven years each on each of the three count charges adding that the sentence will run concurrently.
The judge also urged Inspector General of Police (I-G) Mr Muhammad Adamu to collaborate with the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) to arrest the 3rd respondent (Maduekwe) so she can face her charges.
