Supreme Court Upholds 12-Year Jail Term For Ex- Kwara Poly Governing Board Chair

The Supreme Court has affirmed the 12-year jail term that was
handed down to the erstwhile Chairman of the Governing Council of
Kwara State Polytechnic, Dr. Saadu Alanamu, by the Kwara State High
Court.

The apex court, in a unanimous judgement by a five-man panel of
Justices, said it found no reason to set-aside the concurrent
decisions of both the trial court and the Court of Appeal, which
found Dr. Alanamu guilty of criminal charges the Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC,
preferred against him.

Dr. Alanamu, before his conviction, was in 2017, nominated into
the Board of the ICPC, but was dropped following allegations of
corruption against him.

He was subsequently investigated and charged to court by the
ICPC on an allegation that he received N5million bribe from a
contractor as kickback for the award of contracts in the
Polytechnic.

In a judgement that was delivered by Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar,
the Kwara State High Court sentenced him to 12 years
imprisonment.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, Dr. Alanamu approached the Court
of Appeal, urging it to quash the judgment of the trial court.

His appeal was however dismissed by the appellate court for want
of merit.

Still not satisfied with the ruling of the Court of Appeal, the
appellant lodged an appeal before the Supreme Court.

In a four-ground of appeal he filed at the apex court, Dr.
Alanamu, through his lawyer, Professor Amuda Kanike, SAN, argued
that the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000,
under which he was tried and convicted, was repealed by ICPC Act,
2003.

The appellant further urged the apex court to determine whether
he could be validly tried and convicted for different offences,
under different counts in the same trial, and based on the same set
of facts.

He therefore urged the apex court to upturn his conviction by
both the trial and appellate court.

Meanwhile, in its judgement, the Supreme Court struck out all
grounds of the appeal for being incompetent, misconceived and
lacking in merit.

It accordingly affirmed the conviction and sentencing of the
Appellant to 12 years imprisonment based on the same facts handed
down to him by both the appellate and the trial court.

The Supreme Court has affirmed the 12-year jail term that was
handed down to the erstwhile Chairman of the Governing Council of
Kwara State Polytechnic, Dr. Saadu Alanamu, by the Kwara State High
Court.

The apex court, in a unanimous judgement by a five-man panel of
Justices, said it found no reason to set-aside the concurrent
decisions of both the trial court and the Court of Appeal, which
found Dr. Alanamu guilty of criminal charges the Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC,
preferred against him.

Dr. Alanamu, before his conviction, was in 2017, nominated into
the Board of the ICPC, but was dropped following allegations of
corruption against him.

He was subsequently investigated and charged to court by the
ICPC on an allegation that he received N5million bribe from a
contractor as kickback for the award of contracts in the
Polytechnic.

In a judgement that was delivered by Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar,
the Kwara State High Court sentenced him to 12 years
imprisonment.

Dissatisfied with the verdict, Dr. Alanamu approached the Court
of Appeal, urging it to quash the judgment of the trial court.

His appeal was however dismissed by the appellate court for want
of merit.

Still not satisfied with the ruling of the Court of Appeal, the
appellant lodged an appeal before the Supreme Court.

In a four-ground of appeal he filed at the apex court, Dr.
Alanamu, through his lawyer, Professor Amuda Kanike, SAN, argued
that the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000,
under which he was tried and convicted, was repealed by ICPC Act,
2003.

The appellant further urged the apex court to determine whether
he could be validly tried and convicted for different offences,
under different counts in the same trial, and based on the same set
of facts.

He therefore urged the apex court to upturn his conviction by
both the trial and appellate court.

Meanwhile, in its judgement, the Supreme Court struck out all
grounds of the appeal for being incompetent, misconceived and
lacking in merit.

It accordingly affirmed the conviction and sentencing of the
Appellant to 12 years imprisonment based on the same facts handed
down to him by both the appellate and the trial court.