Ex-council boss bags 31 years in jail for N97m fraud

A Federal High Court in Gombe State has convicted a former council chairman, Samuel Bulus Adamu, and sentenced him to 31 years in prison.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Gombe zonal office secured the conviction in a matter presided over by Justice N. I. Afolabi.
Adamu, a former chairman of Shongom Local Government Area (LGA) of Gombe State, was arraigned on March 9, 2015 on a seven-count charge bordering on fraud, cheating and money laundering to the tune of N97.6 million.
When the charges were read to him, he pleaded “not guilty” to them, thus prompting the EFCC to prosecute him for more than five years.
During the trial, prosecution counsels, A. M. Labaran and A. Y. Muntaka called four witnesses and tendered several exhibits, in order to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
In its judgment on Thursday, July 23, 2020, Justice Afolabi found Adamu guilty of all the seven-count charges.
He convicted and sentenced him to five years imprisonment on counts 1, 2 and 4 without an option of fine. On count 3, the court sentenced him to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine and on counts 5, 6 and 7, the court sentenced him to 3 years imprisonment each without an option of fine. The sentence is to commence from July 10, 2020, and run concurrently.
Justice Afolabi also ordered the convict to pay the sum of N31,640,000 to the coffers of Shongom LGA through the registry of the court under the supervision of the EFCC.
Adamu’s journey to prison began when TICAN Engineering Enterprises petitioned the Gombe zonal office of the EFCC on May, 9, 2011, on allegations bordering on fraud, cheating and money laundering to the tune of N97,640,000 by way of inflation of contracts for rural electrification of Keffi; Kwara; Gangamari; Daja; Gurwa; Gundale; Bebbulo, Kuka, and Damjigiri areas of Shongom LGA from N66 million which was initially approved by the Tender board of Gombe State to N97.6 million.
The EFCC investigated the case and established that Adamu committed the offence, hence his prosecution and conviction.