Three Kogi LG officials bag 12-year jail term for stealing N160m

A High Court sitting in Okene, Kogi State has convicted and sentenced three former officials of Bassa Local Government Council, Kogi State to 12 years imprisonment for stealing over N160 million.

The convicts: Joseph Y. Agbo, Director, Local Government and Head of Service; John Ekele, Treasurer and Financial Adviser to the Executive Chairman and Abubakar Adamu, Chief

The trio were alleged to have converted the loan, which they obtained on behalf of the Bassa Local Government Council for specific projects to their personal use, thereby violating Section 97(1) and 315 of the Penal Code Law of Kogi State.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges, thereby setting the stage for their full trial.

In the course of the trial, the prosecution counsel, T.N. Ndifon, presented a number of witnesses and tendered various documents to prove his case against the accused.

In his verdict, Justice J.J. Majebi of Kogi State convicted and sentenced both Agbo and Ekele to two years imprisonment each, on count one and two years imprisonment on counts two and three.

Adamu was also convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment on count one and two years imprisonment on count four.

Environmental Health Officer were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on March 13, 2012 on a four-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N160 million.