The Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal filed by a former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Mr. Gabriel Daudu, insisting that he remain in prison till 2018.
Daudu, who is a former Caretaker Chairman, Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of the state, had prayed the court to overturn his conviction for a N1.4bn fraud by a Federal High Court, Lokoja.
The convict, who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 208 charges bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of public funds, was found guilty of 77 counts by Justice Inyang Ekwo and sentenced to two years in prison
In his ruling, the trial judge, held that the prosecution proved its case beyond every reasonable doubt, and therefore, sentenced Daudu to two years on each of the 77 counts to run concurrently.
Dissatisfied with his conviction, Daudu approached the appellate court praying that his conviction be set aside.
The counsel for the EFCC, Mr. Wahab Shittu, however, urged the court to dismiss Daudu’s appeal, insisting that it lacked merit.
In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the Appeal Court upheld the ruling of the lower court and dismissed Daudu’s appeal as lacking in merit.
Meanwhile, the EFCC on Wednesday arraigned the Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, Judiciary Branch, Bauchi Usman Abdurahman; and the Treasurer, Hafizu Dauda; before Justice M. A. Sambo of the Bauchi State High Court on six counts bordering on conspiracy, obtaining of goods under false pretences and presenting false documents.
