First politician tried for vote-buying sentenced

The Gombe State High Court has convicted a councillor in Bolari East Local Government Area, Gombe,  of vote-buying.

Ishiyaku Garba was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on three counts of bribery.

The commission had arrested the convict at Bolari Polling Unit 0077 in Gombe State during the presidential and National Assembly elections, where he was caught red-handed.

One of the counts read, “That you, Ishiyaku Garba and Joel Jagaba (still at large), on or about 23rd of March, 2019, at Bolari, Gombe State on the date slated for presidential and National Assembly elections at Bolari Polling Unit 0077, Gombe State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did agree among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: caused money to be expended for election bribery, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 124 (5) of Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and punishable under Section 124 (1) (c) of the same Act.”

A statement by the acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, on Thursday, said the councillor pleaded guilty to the charges.

During the trial, the prosecuting counsel, S.E. Okemini, called a witness, Hillary Obetta, for a review of facts and to also tendered exhibits which were admitted in evidence against Garba.

Defence counsel, S.A. Mustapha, however, pleaded for leniency.

The trial Justice Sa’ad Moh’d convicted the councillor on the three counts and sentenced him to one month in prison with an option of N100,000 fine on count one; one month in prison on count two with an option of N50,000 fine and one month in prison on count three with an option of N20,000 fine.

The prison terms run consecutively.

Moh’d also ordered that the sum of N295,000 recovered from him should be forfeited to the Federal Government