Court Sentences Ex-Council Boss To 6 Years Imprisonment

A Sokoto State High Court sitting in Sokoto has sentenced the former Chairman of Shagari Local Government Area, Alhaji Nasiru Habibu Shagari, to six years imprisonment over N1.37 million fraud.

Alhaji Shagari who was convicted of fraud by Justice Bello Abbas of Sokoto High Court 2, was charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

ICPC in a 6-count charge preferred against the former council boss alleged that he collected bribes on three different occasions in 2005 from Mr. Omirinde Bashiru and Bello Marof, in order to facilitate a contract purportedly awarded to another company, Triangular Venture Limited, by the local government and thereby contravened Sections 8 and 10 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

The Commission in the charge sheet affirmed that Alhaji Shagari collected N527, 000 in March 2005 from Bashiru and Marof to confirm as true, a letter of award of contract supposedly issued by the local government to Triangular Venture Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (1) and punishable under Section 8 (b) (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Alhaji Shagari was further accused by ICPC of receiving another N716, 000 from Bashiru and Marof in March 2005, to enable him change a letter of award of contract allegedly awarded to Triangular Ventures Limited by the local government to their names, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 10 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 10 (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

ICPC also told the court that the ex-council boss did contravene Section 10 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 by receiving N135, 000 from the duo of Bashiru and Marof in March 2005, to enable him process documents relating to the contract purportedly awarded by the Shagari Local Government Area of Sokoto State to Triangular Ventures Limited, to their company name, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 10 (ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Counsel to the accused, Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, told the court that Alhaji Shagari was a first time offender, and pleaded that the court be lenient in its judgment.

Justice Abbas in his ruling sentenced him to six years imprisonment with an option of fine of N300, 000. He was sentenced to one year each for the 6-count charge and a corresponding N50, 000 each for each year.