Court sentences ex-local govt chairman to 31 years in prison over N97m fraud

The conviction of a former local government chairman identified as Samuel Bulus Adamu has been secured by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Gombe zonal office before Justice N. I . Afolabi of Federal High Court Gombe.

This was contained in a statement released by the antigraft agency.

According to the EFCC, Adamu, a former Chairman of Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe State, was first arraigned on March 9, 2015 on a seven-count charge bordering on fraud, cheating and money laundering to the tune of N97, 640, 000.00k( Ninety-Seven Million, Six Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira only).

The former local government chairman, Adamu was prosecuted for more than five years by the anti-graft agency after he pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges read to him.

During the trial, prosecution counsels, A. M. Labaran and A. Y Muntaka called four witnesses and tendered several exhibits in order to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.

While delivering its judgment on Thursday, July 23, 2020, Justice Afolabi found Adamu guilty of all the seven- count charges.

He convicted and sentenced him to five years imprisonment on counts 1, 2 and 4 without an option of fine. On count 3, the court sentenced him to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine and on counts 5, 6 and 7, the court sentenced him to 3 years imprisonment each without an option of fine.

The sentence is to commence from July 10, 2020 and run concurrently.

Justice Afolabi also ordered the convict to pay the sum of N31, 640, 000 ( Thirty One Million, Six Hundred and Forty Thousand Nair only) to the coffers of Shongom Local Govt through the registry of the court under the supervision of the EFCC.

According to report, Adamu’s journey to prison began when TICAN Engineering Enterprises petitioned the Gombe zonal office of the EFCC on May, 9, 2011, efcc on allegations bordering on fraud, cheating and money laundering to the tune of N97, 640, 000 by way of inflation of contracts for rural electrification of Keffi; Kwara; Gangamari; Daja; Gurwa; Gundale; Bebbulo, Kuka, and Damjigiri areas of Shongom Local Govt., from N66, 000, 000 which was initially approved by the Tender board of Gombe state to N97.6million.

The EFCC investigated the case and established that Adamu committed the offence, hence his prosecution and conviction.