Court sentences 2 INEC staff to 21 years, orders IGP to produce Diezani

A High Court sitting in Yola, has on Thursday sentenced two officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to 21 years in prison over N362 million they received from former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison Madueke.

The court presided by Justice Nathan Musa instructed the Inspector General of Police to work with Interpol to produce  the third defendant,  Diezani before the court.

“The third defendant in her desire to influence election in favor of the then president, authorized the release of N362 million public money, through Fidelity bank to the 1st and second defendants to corrupt election officials”, he said.

The case against the convicted INEC staff,  Ibrahim Mohammed Umar and Sahabo Iya Hamman as well as the former Petroleum Minister was brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Musa ruled that the court had established conspiracy between the three defendants to defraud the federal government of N362 million with the intent of compromising the election and therefore sentenced the two INEC staff to 7 years each on the three count charges brought against them by EFCC

He  however noted that the sentence would run concurrently in consideration of pleas from the defence counsels.

“All the three counts, the law provides a mandatory 7 years without option of a fine”, he said.

“The offence has a mandatory provision. I’m constrained by the law. They shall be sentenced to 7 years imprisonment without option of fine.

“However in view of plea to temper justice with mercy I will  allow the sentence to run concurrently.