A five-man panel of the Court of Appeal sitting in Sokoto and
presided over by Justice Hannatu Sankey has sentenced the Chairman of
the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Murtala Adamu
Jengebe to a cumulative jail term of 41 years.
Jengebe was convicted by the court after the appellate court found
him guilty on the seven out of the 10 counts for which he was earlier
acquitted at the Federal High Court, Gusau, Zamfara State.
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| Murtala Adamu Jengebe |
In the lead judgment of the Court read by Justice Habeeb Abiru, the
earlier acquittal of the embattled Chairman by a Federal High Court in
Gusau was set aside.
The appalate court held that the prosecution has proved beyond
reasonable doubt seven out of the ten counts of the money laundering
charge brought against him by the EFCC. He was consequently sentenced to
five years imprisonment on each of four of the counts and seven years
each on three other counts respectively.
However, the Court ordered that the sentences shall run concurrently.
On 12 May, 2017, the Federal High Court sitting in Gusau presided
over by Justice Z.B Abubakar discharged and acquitted the convict on the
10 counts charge of Money Laundering but convicted him for engaging in
private business while he was still in public service. An offence he was
never charged for by the Commission.
Dissatisfied with the judgement of the lower court, the prosecution
approached the Court Of Appeal seeking it to set aside the judgement of
the lower court.
