The Court of Appeal, Yola Division, Adamawa State has affirmed the conviction of Ibrahim Mohammed Umar, a former Electoral Officer with the Independent National Electoral Commission in Yola South Local Government Area.
Umar and his accomplice had earlier been convicted of a three count charge by an Adamawa State High Court and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
They were accused of receiving monetary benefit to the tune of N362 million, being part of the bribe allegedly distributed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 elections.
Umar was arraigned alongside a former staff of a new generation bank by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission on September 28, 2018.
During the trial, the EFCC called 14 witnesses and tendered several documents, which were admitted in evidence.
Justice Nathan Musa, in his judgment, held that EFCC proved its case beyond reasonable doubt as investigation proved that the convict was identified as the person who signed and collected the said sum and was unable to account for its whereabouts.
He was therefore convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine on all the counts.
Dissatisfied with the judgement, the convict approached the Court of Appeal, Yola Division on March 4, 2020 asking that the judgment of the lower court be set aside.
But the appellate court affirmed the judgment of the lower court.