CASE NUMBER 10886:

GABRIEL DAUDU SENT TO JAIL BY SUPREME COURT

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Alleged Perpetrators(s)

Gabriel Daudu

Location (Town / State)

Ogori/Magongo , Kogi

Date of Event

28 Jan 2018

Date of republication

28 January every year

Case category (Choose all that apply)

Case Summary

Former Kogi State Council boss who embezzled public funds to the tune of N1.4 billion and was sentenced to 154 years imprisonment had his conviction affirmed by both the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

Full story

Gabriel Daudu who is a former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly and former Caretaker Chairman, Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of the state had the rare privilege of having his conviction for corruption being upheld by the Supreme Court. Daudu’s corruption was so notorious that both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal with alacrity.

Gabriel Daudu while serving as a member of the Kogi State House of Assembly came under the radar of the EFCC for his involvement in the misappropriation of public funds worth N1.4 billion.

In April 2010, Daudu was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before the Federal High Court, Lokoja in Kogi State on a 208 count charge bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of public funds. The case was assigned to Justice Inyang Ekwo. At the trial, the prosecution represented by Barrister Wahab Shittu fielded 13 witnesses and tendered 47 exhibits to prove the charges against the former law maker.

The accused was represented by kinsman Counsel, Joseph Daudu whose efforts to secure the discharge of his client was rendered futile by the superior firepower of the prosecution.

In the course of the trial, Justice Inyang Ekwo indicated that the trial might have to start afresh as the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, asked Justice P.M. Ayuba of the Lokoja Division of the court to take over the case. However, counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Wahab Shittu pleaded with Justice Auta to review the decision. The Chief Judge, thereafter, returned the case file to Justice Ekwo who presided over the case till its conclusion.

The case dragged on for 6 years at the federal High Court. On April 25, 2016, Daudu the court finally delivered judgment in this case. In its ruling, Justice Inyang Ekwo held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt. Dauda was found guilty and convicted on 77 counts by the learned trial judge. He was subsequently sentenced to 154 years imprisonment on each of the 77 counts making a total of 154 years imprisonment. However, the sentences were to run concurrently.

Dissatisfied with his conviction, the former council boss through his legal practitioner, Joseph Daudu approached the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal via a Notice of Appeal, asking the court of Appeal to reverse the decision of the federal high court and overrule the conviction.

However, in an unanimous decision on 1st March, 2017, the Court of Appeal upheld the ruling of the lower court and dismissed the former council boss’s appeal for lack of merit.

Still unsatisfied, Daudu who was an inmate at the prison approached the Supreme Court, asking the apex court to grant him a post-conviction bail pending the determination of the appeal before it.

The Supreme Court on 6th July, 2017 granted the Appellant’s prayers and set the bail condition at N2 million with two sureties in like sum who must be resident and have properties within the FCT.

In the determination of the main appeal, five justices of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Kumai Akaahs (who delivered the lead judgment) described the appeal as unmeritorious and resolved all the issues for consideration against Daudu and accordingly dismissed the appeal in its entirety on 28th January, 2018.

The ex-council boss who was enjoying his post-conviction bail then had to return to prison to serve out the remainder of his 2-year jail term.

External links/URLs

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/202409-n1-4bn-fraud-court-sentences-ex-kogi-lawmaker-154-year-jail.html

http://dailypost.ng/2017/03/01/n1-4bn-fraud-jailed-ex-kogi-lawmaker-gabriel-daudu-loses-appeal/

https://guardian.ng/news/south-

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