N1.4bn fraud: Ex-Kogi lawmaker jailed 154 years

A Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State on Monday sentenced  a former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Gabriel Daudu, to 154 years imprisonment for N1.4 billion fraud and money laundering.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment found Daudu guilty on 77 out of the 208 count charged preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its prosecutor, Wahab Shittu.

Daudu, who once served as the Caretaker Chairman of the Ogori/Mangogo Local Government Area of Kogi State between January and July 2008, had been standing trial  alongside a former Commissioner for Agriculture in Kogi State, Albert Adesina since  April, 2010.

The EFCC had charged the defendants for offences bordering on conspiracy, advanced fee fraud and money laundering to the tune of  N1.4billion.

While co-defendant, Adesina was discharged and acquitted, Justice Ekwo sentenced Daudu to two years imprisonment on 77 counts.

The convict will however spend two years in jail as the sentence on each of the 77 count will run concurrently.

Daudu was first in 2010 arraigned before Justice Adamu Bello of a Federal High Court in Abuja who was later transferred to the Lokoja Division of the Federal High Court.

Daudu and Adesina were re-arraigned twice before Justice Ekwo, on amended charges where the matter started de-novo.

During the trial that lasted five years, the prosecution, Wahab Shittu called 13 witnesses and tendered 47 evidences to prove his case against the convict.

The convict on other hand called seven defence witnesses through his counsel, Mr. O.J. Onaja (SAN) to prove his innocence.

But Justice Ekwo, in his judgement held that the prosecution has proved his case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the defendant.