Professor Magaji Garba, a former Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gusau, has been sentenced to 35 years imprisonment by a High Court sitting in Garki, Abuja.
Justice Maryam Hassan Aliyu handed the sentence after he was found guilty of a five count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.
Garba was arraigned by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 12, 2021, for allegedly extorting various sums from a contractor on the pretext of awarding him a N3 billion contract for the perimeter wall fencing of the University.
The offence is contrary to section 1 (1) (a) and p¥nishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
According to EFCC, Garba had on May 15, 2019 in Abuja obtained the sum of N100million from one Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, a contractor executing the construction of the Grand Convocation Square of university under the false pretence of awarding a project for the perimeter wall fencing of the University valued at the total sum of N3billion.
On August 1, 2019 in Abuja, he also obtained the sum of N150million from one Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, a contract executing the construction of the Grand Convocation Square at the Federal University, Gusau under the false presence of awarding a project for the perimeter wall fencing of the University valued at the total sum of N3billion.
Delivering judgment today, the trial judge said the court was satisfied that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He pronounced the defendant “guilty” on the five counts, and sentenced him to seven years on count 1-3 without option of fine and seven years imprisonment on counts 4 and 5, with option of N10 million fine each.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
