The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) got Professor Magaji Garba, a former Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gusau, convicted today. Justice Maryam Hassan Aliyu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Garki, Abuja, found him guilty of five counts of obtaining money by false pretense and forgery and sentenced him to 35 years in prison.
On October 12, 2021, the EFCC charged Garba with extorting money from a contractor under the guise of giving him a N3 billion contract to build the University’s perimeter wall fence.
The crime is against section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and it is punishable under section 1(3).
Count two of the charge says, “That you, Professor Magaji Garba, while you were Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Gusau, on or about May 15, 2019 in Abuja, Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, with the intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) from Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ministaco Nigeria Limited, a
Also, a NYSC member and 38 other people were found guilty of internet fraud in Ogun and Oyo.
Count 3 says, “That you, Professor Magji Garba, while you were Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Gusau, on or about August 1, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with the intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N150,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira from Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ministaco Nigeria Limited, a
He had said “not guilty” to the charges, which made his full trial possible.
The EFCC finished its case on December 14, 2021, after calling witnesses and submitting many documents that were accepted as evidence.
Today, the trial judge said that the court was happy that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
He said the defendant was “guilty” on all five counts and gave him a sentence of seven years in prison on counts 1-3 without the option of paying a fine and seven years in prison on counts 4 and 5 with the option of paying a fine of N10 million each.
For more stories, go to www.efcc.gov.ng.