Appeal Court affirms 4-year jail for 2 Sokoto govt officials

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

Garba, before his conviction by the lower court, was the State National Union of Teachers (NUT) treasurer, while Kabiru Bello was a staff of the State Ministry of Finance.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), investigated both convicts of allegations of fraud, and were found guilty by Justice Mohammed Mohammed of Sokoto High Court No.7, who sentenced each of them to 4-years imprisonment, 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.

ICPC 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.

But having listened to the arguements 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.