Home FEATURES Ex Lawmaker To Spend 154 Years Behind Bars For Looting N1.4 Billion

Ex Lawmaker To Spend 154 Years Behind Bars For Looting N1.4 Billion

Lawyers at the Presidential election tribunal | Credit: Channelstv

A former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Gabriel Daudu is to spend 154 years in prison having been convicted today in Lokoja, for N1.4 billion fraud and money laundering.

The presiding Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Lokoja, found Daudu guilty on 77 out of the 208 count charged preferred against him bynthe Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The convict will however, spend two years in jail as the sentence on each of the 77 count will run concurrently.

During the trial that lasted five years, the prosecution, Wahab Shittu called 13 witnesses and tendered 47 evidences to prove his case against the convict.

The convict on other hand called seven defence witnesses through his counsel, Mr. O.J. Onaja (SAN) to prove his innocence.

But Justice Ekwo, in his judgment held that the prosecution has proved his case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the defendant.

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Daudu once served as the Caretaker Chairman of the Ogori/Mangogo Local Government Area of Kogi State between January and July 2008.

He has been standing trial alongside a former Commissioner for Agriculture in Kogi State, Albert Adesina since April, 2010.

The EFCC had charged the defendants for offences bordering on conspiracy, advanced fee fraud and money laundering to the tune of N1.4billion.

While co-defendant, Adesina was discharged and acquitted, Justice Ekwo sentenced Daudu to two years imprisonment on 77 counts.

Daudu was first arraigned in 2010 before Justice Adamu Bello of a Federal High Court in Abuja who was later transferred to the Lokoja Division of the Federal High Court.

Daudu and Adesina were re-arraigned twice before Justice Ekwo, on amended charges where the matter started de-novo. [myad]

 

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