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Hope Abah — This month marks the second anniversary of President Muhammadu Buharis ascension to power on May 29, 2015 after a tortuous political campaign on the crest of fighting corruption, insecurity and revamping the economy.
A former Deputy Director at the National Intelligence Agency, Ibrahim Ibrahim, said new laws must be put in place to succeed in the fight against corruption. "The laws in Nigeria relating to corruption are characterised by many loopholes which give room for corruption to take place... the penalties are too soft and they encourage corruption. Acts 6 and 7 of the EFCC legal instruments should be changed. Why should somebody who stole about $50 million be jailed for only five years? A person who stole a goat may still get five year jail term."
Ibrahim added: "The burden of proof should be on the accused and not the prosecuting agency. Thats how it should be if we want to deal with corruption in Nigeria, because we cant deal with it the way things are now. We can only do half-done job."
The fight against corruption, which has been borrowed by many state governors using federal security apparatus, has shoved many politicians, senior military officers and technocrats into various cells. Though most of the accused are now out of incarceration on bail, we look at some of the big men who have experienced life in detention, at a time when lawyers and security experts are calling for new laws that would reduce encumbrances hampering prosecuting of corruption cases in Nigeria.
Landmark conviction with Ngilari
The anti-graft crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari scored a major goal in March, this year when a former governor of Adamawa State, James Bala Ngilari was surreptitiously investigated, taken to court where he was found guilty and sentenced for five years by a Federal High Court.
The unprecedented ruling by the court in Yola, presided over by Justice Nathan Musa, ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ngilari violated the Public Procurement Act of the state by awarding contracts for the procurement of 25 vehicles for his commissioners at the cost of N167 million without following due process.
Ngilari was found guilty of corruption charges brought against him in September last year by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The judge said Ngilaris action "amounted to executive lawlessness," adding that the five years were the least he could give Ngilari, whose lawyer, Mr. Samuel Toni (SAN), pleaded for leniency "in view of [Ngilaris] invaluable contribution while he was the governor of the state during the trying moments of insurgency."
The judgement was indeed a breakthrough even though Ngilari was later granted bail to attend to his health.
Ex- Gov Lamidos two days in Kiyawa Prison
The former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido was earlier this week remanded at the Kiyawa Prison over alleged "inciting statements" ahead of local government elections in Jigawa.
Lamido was said to have preached violence while addressing members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who he told to resist intimidation and rigging by the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state.
The former governor was last Sunday picked by the Kano State police for questioning following a petition written against him by Jigawa State. He remained with the police until Tuesday when he was arraigned before the Dutse Chief Magistrate Court II. He was arraigned on four-count charges of inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace, defamation of character and criminal intimidation which are contrary to section 144, 113, 397 and 372 of Jigawa State Penal Code.
The Chief Magistrate, Mohammed Usman Lamin later directed that Lamido be remanded in prison for the next two days to enable him study the possibility of granting him bail.
Lamido was remanded at the Kiyawa Prison located in Kiyawa town, the headquarters of Kiyawa Local Government Area, which is about 30 kilometres away from Dutse, the state capital. For the following two days, the prison turned to a mecca of sorts as his supporters from across the country trooped in to sympathize with him.
During a visit by our reporter, it was noticed that all the roads leading to the prison located in the heart of the town were blocked by heavily armed policemen who thoroughly screened prospective visitors.
A former Director of Press to Lamido, Malam Umar Kyari Maidamuwa, said the former governor was stress-free, calm and cheerful during his incarceration.
In July, 2015, the former Jigawa governor and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, were before a federal high court, for allegedly receiving N1.35 billion kickback from a government contractor. They were remanded in prison custody but later granted bail.
Like many other politicians, Lamidos handlers attributed his arrests to his rising profile. Around this time in 2016, the former Jigawa State governor said he will vie for the presidency in 2019. "If my party (PDP) finds me worthy of the partys presidential ticket to serve Nigeria, I will thank God and oblige," he said.
Suswam in the cool hands of DSS
A former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has been in detention of the Department of Security Services (DSS) since February 27, this year on alleged possession of some unlawful items said to be found at his property in Abuja. The items included firearms, several Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os), 23 luxury watches and 45 keys of various cars among others.
Suswams lawyer, Joseph Daudu (SAN) on April 5 filed a N10 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit over his continued detention by the DSS. Beside his case with the DSS, the ex-Benue governor is also standing trial before an Abuja Federal High Court over alleged diversion of the sum of N3.1 billion raised from Benue State shares in major companies alongside Commissioner for Finance, Omodachi Okolobia. The case was adjourned to May 9 after the DSS failed to produce him on March 28 for trial.
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on January 25 brought an application for indefinite adjournment in a fresh N7 billion allegation of criminal misappropriation charges filed against Suswam. On April 11, the Federal Government failed to arraign him on the fresh charges before a Federal High Court in Abuja after the DSS failed to produce him in court. The case was adjourned to May 11.
Speaking to our correspondent in Makurdi, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav, noted that the continued detention of Suswam by the DSS is a drift to the old days of military rule.
While some of Suswams supporters are fingering the Benue State government in the issue, Governor Samuel Ortom had at a public function on March 20, announced ceasefire between him and Suswam.
Babangida Aliyus quiet time in jail
A Minna High Court on Wednesday, March 3 granted bail in the sum of N150 million to former Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger who was also remanded in Minna prison for some days. He was charged alongside Umar Nasko, the Chief of Staff under his administration on a six-count charge of misappropriating N4.568 billion.
Nasko was the Niger State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2015. |
