The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Gombe Zonal Office, has secured the conviction of a former Chairman, Shongom Local Government Area of Gombe state, Samuel Bulus Adamu, N97,640 million fraud.
A press statement by the EFCC Head, Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, Friday in Abuja, said the convict was arraigned before Justice N. I . Afolabi of Federal High Court Gombe on March 9, 2015, on a seven-count charge bordering on fraud, cheating and money laundering to the tune of N97,640 million.
He said Adamu pleaded not guilty to the charge thus prompting the EFCC to prosecute him for more than five years.
According to the spokesperson, the Prosecution Counsels, A. M. Labaran, and A. Y Muntaka, called four witnesses and tendered several exhibits during the trial to prove the case against the former council boss.
He said Justice Afolabi found Adamu guilty of all the seven- count charges hence he convicted and sentenced him to five years in prison on counts 1, 2 and 4 without an option of fine. Oyewale said that on count 3, the court sentenced him to seven years in prison without an option of fine and on counts 5, 6, and 7, the court sentenced him to three years in prison on each without an option of fine.
He said the sentence is to commence from July 10, 2020, and run concurrently, even as Justice Afolabi also ordered the convict to pay the sum of N31,640 million to the coffers of Shongom Local Govt through the registry of the court under the supervision of the EFCC.
The spokesperson said Adamu’s journey to prison began when TICAN Engineering Enterprises petitioned EFCC Gombe office on May, 9, 2011, allegation that the former council boss of fraud, cheating, and money laundering to the tune of N97,640 million by way of inflation of contracts for rural electrification of Keffi; Kwara; Gangamari; Daja; Gurwa; Gundale; Bebbulo, Kuka, and Damjigiri areas of Shongom Local Government from N66,000 million which was initially approved by the Tenders Board of Gombe state to N97,640 million.
