Inec official sentenced to seven years in jail for receiving bribe from Diezani to rig elections

INDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (Inec) officer of Ibrahim Umar has been sentenced to seven years in prison by the Nigerian Court of Appeal sitting in Yola after being found guilty of receiving a bribe from ex-petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke.

In a recent judgement, the Court of Appeal, Yola Division in Adamawa State, upheld the conviction of Ibrahim Mohammed Umar, a former Inec electoral officer in Yola South Local Government Area. In his judgement, Justice Nathan Musa, held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

He added that investigations proved that the convict was identified as the person who signed and collected the sum of N362m ($878,906) from Ms Alison-Madueke and was unable to account for its whereabouts. Mr Umar was subsequently convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine on all the counts.

EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren, said: “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 for receiving monetary benefit to the tune of N362m, 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 EFCC on September 28, 2018.

"During the trial, the EFCC called 14 witnesses and tendered several documents which were admitted in evidence. 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.

“The appellate court on April 14, 2021 delivered its judgement, wherein it unanimously affirmed the judgment of the lower court. Mr Umar was subsequently convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment without an option of fine on all the counts."