Justice H.H. Kereng of the Gombe State High Court has convicted and sentenced a magistrate, Mohammad Kumo, to two years and six months imprisonment for bribery.
Kumo was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a three-count charge bordering on corruption.
A statement on Wednesday by the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, said the defendant was first arraigned on December 3, 2025, but challenged the jurisdiction of the court through his counsel, Adamu Bawa, who argued that as a judicial officer, he should be tried by the Judicial Service Commission.
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The prosecution counsel, A. Aliyu, opposed the objection, maintaining that the defendant, being a magistrate, did not fall within the category of judicial officers as defined under Section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
In a ruling delivered on February 17, 2026, Justice Kereng upheld the prosecution’s argument and affirmed the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
One of the charges stated that Kumo, while serving at the Chief Magistrate Court, Pantami, received N1 million through a Zenith Bank account belonging to a court registrar, Adamu Ahmed, on November 6, 2024, in Gombe.
He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, at the resumed hearing on May 5, 2026, defence counsel informed the court that the defendant wished to change his plea to guilty.
The charges were re-read and Kumo admitted guilt.
Following the plea, the prosecution urged the court to convict him and order the payment of N500,000 as compensation for the resources expended in the course of investigation and prosecution.
Delivering judgment, Justice Kereng convicted Kumo under Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, describing the offence as serious.
“I hereby convict you for the offence of corruption… N500,000 is not excessive as compensation for investigation and prosecution,” the judge held.
The court sentenced Kumo to two years and six months imprisonment, with an option of a N250,000 fine, and ordered him to pay N500,000 as compensation to the commission.
The case followed a petition to the Gombe State Ministry of Justice by two complainants, Abubakar Isa Jauro Kuna and Suleiman Haruna, alleging bribery against the magistrate.
He was subsequently investigated, charged to court, and convicted.
Recall that in April, an Ikeja Special Offences Court convicted and sentenced Ndidi Joshua Bobby to 42 years’ imprisonment for internet fraud involving false identity claims and obtaining money under false pretence.
This followed his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Okotie-Eboh, on charges bordering on stealing and possession of fraudulent documents involving €80,000.
Culled from The Punch
