court
Judiciary Justice
Lawyer Bags
court
Judiciary Justice
Lawyer Bags 18 Months without Option of Fine in
Borno
The Maiduguri Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), on Monday, November 18, 2019 secured an
18-months prison sentence of Zanna Dalhatu without an option of
fine before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court,
Maiduguri.
Dalhatu, a prosecuting counsel with the Federal State Ministry
of Justice, Maiduguri Office was arraigned on January 10, 2019 and
pleaded not guilty to a one-count charge by the Commission.
His journey to prison started when he demanded for N7million
bribe and also attempted to obtain the said sum from Shuaibu
Mohammed, the Chief Accountant of Borno State Road Maintenance
Agency (BORMA) to facilitate the termination of a case against the
staff of the agency. He was trailed and arrested in the processing
of collecting the bribe sum.
While the EFCC presented three witnesses to prove its case
against him, the defence counsel, Zanna Hamza opted for a “no case
submission,” which the court threw out and ordered that he opened
his defence.
Not satisfied with the ruling, the defendant approached the
Appeal Court, Jos Division, which against his wish, upheld the
Borno State High Court’s ruling on the no case submission.
Upon amending the charge by the prosecution, he pleaded guilty
and was convicted and sentenced accordingly.
The amended charge reads: “That you, Zanna Dalhatu, while being
a prosecuting counsel with the Federal Ministry of Justice,
sometime in November 2018 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the
jurisdiction of this honourable court, attempted to obtain the sum
of N7,000,000.00 (Seven Million Naira) only, from one Shuaibu
Mohammed, the Chief Accountant of Borno State Road Maintenance
Agency (BORMA) as gratification to induce by illegal means, the
team of investigators attached to Economic Governance Section (E.G)
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to terminate
a criminal case pending with the said Commission against some staff
of Borno State Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA) and thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 116 of the Borno State
Penal Code Laws Cap. 102 and punishable under the same
section.”
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
19 November, 2019