Supreme Court Upholds Joshua Dariye’s 10-year Jail Sentence

The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and sentence of a former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, to 10 years jail term.

A five-member panel of justices, on Friday, unanimously agreed with the decision of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which had earlier reduced the sentence from 14 years to 10 years.

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The lead judgment by Justice Ejembi Eko, which was read by Justice Morenikeji Ogunwumiju, upheld the judgment of the FCT High Court which in June 2018 found Dariye guilty of criminal breach of trust.

The panel, however, quashed the conviction on criminal misappropriation against the former governor which was reduced to one year and which was to be served at the same time.

The EFCC had, in 2007, charged Dariye with 23-counts bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N1.1 billion Ecological Funds of the state during his time in office between 1999 and 2007.

But the trial court convicted him on 15 of the 23 counts, 11 of which were on criminal breach of trust and four on criminal misappropriation and awarded the maximum concurrent jail term of 14 years.

But at the Court of Appeal, the panel presided by Justice Stephen Adah, reduced the terms to 10 years.

Dariye is presently at the custodial centre in Kuje.

He has served close to four years in custody already.