Ex-Council Chairman who stole N1.4 billion must go to jail, Appeal Court rules

Court of Appeal Headquarters
Court of Appeal Headquarters

The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal by a former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly and former Caretaker Chairman of Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of the state, Gabriel Daudu, against his conviction for a N1.4 billion fraud.

Mr. Daudu, who  was arraigned before a Federal High Court, Lokoja by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a 208-count charge bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of public funds, was found guilty of 77 counts by Justice Inyang Ekwo and sentenced  to 154 years imprisonment.

In his ruling, the trial judge, held that the prosecution proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt, and therefore, sentenced Mr. Daudu to two years on each of the 77 counts to run concurrently.

Dissatisfied with his conviction, Mr. Daudu approached the appellate court praying that his conviction be set aside.

However, in a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the Appeal Court upheld the ruling of the lower court and dismissed Mr. Daudu’s appeal as unmeritorious and lacking in merit.

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  • Truthometer

    That’s why they hate PMB. Nigeria shall be great again!

    • emmanuel

      When was the man sentenced at the lower court? ignoramus.
      You keep celebrating Buhari, while he is busy buying cutleries every year. The same Buhari last year took back Aso Villa Budget for cars and surreptitiously spread it (hid it) under different budget head. That is called restructuring of chop chop or chwa chwa – hllmark of corruption
      Do you forget things in a hurry?
      Buhari if he still alive after 2019 will get i million years jail term too

  • George

    Just 1,4B equal to 145yrs imprisonment so I could see why Tinubu is ready to use every opportunity to declare alligent to Bingo Buhari government because his own case might get 5000yrs imprisonment.

    • Arabakpura

      When he finishes the 145 years in prison, will he still join PDP if it’s available then, or will join the APC?

      • Chidi

        He is already in People’s Death Party.

        • George

          No, all the past criminals are now in APC

        • Arabakpura

          Haha!

  • Dee Law

    Why Judges of Nigerian Courts may be slapped all around

    A DAY IS COMING WHEN many JUDGES of Nigerian courts will be slapped all around
    on the streets before being tied to the stakes at Bar Beach and summarily executed.
    Here, a person sold a whopping 1.4 billion Naira – almost equal to a state’s revenue
    per month. Yet all these robed and so-called Judges could do is a mere 2-year
    sentencing to jail. Society would be a lot better if a majority were put in jails
    and all other convicts currently in jail released back into society.

    The Judges in Nigeria’s courts
    have aggregrately done more damage to destroy Nigeria cmpletely
    than all rogue officials who stole money. It is the judges who put a
    stamp of approval on stealing and bribery in society and signal to
    Nigerian youths to take to stealing as a profession since all the
    penalty for robbing the entire treasury is two-year jail term.
    Whereas, in the prison are poor people jailed for ten years
    for stealing a goat or tubers of yam worth under ₦ 20,000.

    • Opekete

      You are right.

      • G. Ajuwa

        @disqus_a86kiX4Dex:disqus

        Na today?
        Come to Ughelli and see how youths are dealing with some of these useless
        High Court Judges. In one case like this the youths marched into the court.
        They first gave upper cut to the court registrar who fainted straight. The
        Judge who was sitting in the court quickly stood up to run away from back door.
        The youths just tackled him. They pinned the Judge to the ground right there
        inside the court. Come and see beating. Heavy blows were landed on the head
        of the Judge. After a while the Judge fainted there on the floor of the court. The
        youths now carried all the case files on the bench away – everything. Hospital
        people came later to rush the Judge to hospital for over two months before
        doctors can revive that Judge. Another three Judges of the High Court were
        captured with their drivers on their way to court. They were taken into a
        forest far away and given hard lashes of kobokobo. Come to Ughelli and
        see the real wound on the faces of these useless Judges.

        • gbosa gbosa gbosa!!

          IF SOMEONE WHO STOLE 1.5 BILLION NAIRA WILL ONLY SPEND TWO YEARS IN JAIL,

          BETTER TO LOCK UP JUDGES AND FREE OUR BELOVED ARMED ROBBERS FROM JAIL

          • Papa Ogihwriodo

            MY CHILDREN,

            Don’t be annoyed. You have found out that the Judges in the courts are like thieves and
            armed robbers. Me I have not gone to any court after British colonial government left Nigeria.
            That was in 1960 they left. That time, our Judges were white men, not all of them, there were
            some black ones too. But they were honest people. We respected them for that. This one now
            that your generation is slapping and flogging the judges, is another thing, because it did not
            happen like this in my time.

            I am not saying that you must stop slapping and flogging any crook of a Judge. It is your
            fundamental human right to do that. What I am saying is that you must also find out how
            come armed robbers became Judges of our courts nowadays. I am advising you to find
            out this thing before it is too late. Very soon James Ibori will become Chief Justice of Nigeria.

    • Tunde

      Though I agree with your summation of judges, the sentence is 2 years per count equal 154 years! The guy will rot in there. Except I have misinterpreted the math….

      • Chidi

        You got the math wrong. He will spend only 2 years in jail. 1 yr in jail (includes detention period) then 1 yr in hospital treating stomach pain and sleeps in his house. That’s Nigeria for you.

      • Ekeh Celestine T.

        @disqus_a86kiX4Dex:disqus

        You go school at all? Two years conviction on 77 counts to run concurrently.

        Do you know the meaning of concurrently? It means the total is equal to 2 years!

        • George

          PLS TAKE IT EASY WITH ABOKI KNOWLEDGE OHH

      • Dat-Abdulahi

        “…sentenced Mr. Daudu to two years on each of the 77 counts to run concurrently”. Means he’d only be locked up for 2 years, as all the sentences will be served at the same time! We have rogues as judges!!

  • So oju abe niko

    “and dismissed Mr. Daudu’s appeal as unmeritorious and lacking in merit.” Premium Times! Did anyone read this before publishing it?

  • Senator D

    Breaking News: Senate confirms Justice Onnoghen as CJN… Bubu please kindly extend your London vacation till 2019…

    • George

      THEY SHOULD BURY HIM ALIVE THERE

  • marc umeh

    That’s not possible. A senior thief going to jail ? In Nigeria ?
    Where are the SANS ?

  • Usman

    what a joke

  • sammyctu ode

    If a LG chairman can be sentenced to 154 years jail term I hope all the various judges trying all those who stole more billions than this animal will be sentenced to life without parole and no pardon from any corrupt future president.

  • Deansmart

    The man was only sentenced to two years imprisonment cos he serving the 77 counts charge concurrently

  • Höly Wähala

    Somebody should use white-wash paint to touch up the Court of Appeals HQ building… the sight is an eyesore given that huge monies are expended on the Ministry of Justice every year… Nigerians and una rather horrible maintenance culture, nothing stays decent for long. Imagine the ceilings of such graceful building looking like unflushed toilet. Haba… Tufia!

    That said, that LGA Chairman should go to trial and if convicted, sent to prison. It is kind of theft that forces Governors to run the States and LGA’s using Sole-Ads, Nigerian politicians at all levels are astronomically corrupt… Thieves!

  • tundemash

    If the idi0t had been shot dead as his punishment for corruption, as done in China, he won’t be appealing his conviction from hell !