Skip to main content

Four NAF officers prosecuted , suffer rank reduction over 41 million naira misappropriation

Four executive members of the 151 Base Services Group (151 BSG) Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Makurdi, standing trial before a General Court Martial sitting at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Makurdi for criminal misappropriation of over N41 million have been found guilty and sanctioned appropriately.

The sentences were handed down on September 24, 2020.

The four NAF personnel, who were arraigned before the GCM for misappropriation of Cooperative funds, amongst other offences, were Flight Lieutenant Sherifi Olawoore, Flying Officer Ademola Adekoya, Master Warrant Officer Michael Oyebanji and Warrant Officer Paul Atteh.

The personnel were sentenced based on their levels of involvement.

Delivering his judgement, the President of the GCM, Air Commodore Nazib Aliyu, pronounced the four accused personnel guilty of various charges.

Olawoore was tried for negligently performing his duty as the President of the Cooperative, found guilty and awarded six months loss of seniority.

In the same vein, Adekoya was tried for negligently performing his duty as Secretary of the Cooperative.

He was found guilty and awarded one year loss of seniority.

Oyebanji, who was the Vice President of the Cooperative, was tried on a 46 count charge, including: Criminal Breach of Trust, Theft, Criminal Conspiracy, Criminal Misappropriation, Making of False Documents and Conduct to the Prejudice of Service Discipline, contrary to Sections 114 and 103 (d) of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Sections 312, 287, 96 and 309 of the Penal Code Cap P3 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

He was found guilty on all 46 counts and subsequently sentenced to serve 21 years imprisonment, cumulatively, as well as reduction in rank to Corporal and ordered to refund all monies misappropriated.

In the same vein, Atteh, who was tried for negligently performing his duty as the Treasurer of the Cooperative as well as for the Making of False Documents and Criminal Breach of Trust, was found guilty of all three charges.
He was awarded reduction in rank from WO to Sergeant, in the first instance, and then eventually reduced to the rank of Corporal.

He is also required to pay a fine of N1 million.

Meanwhile, the GCM has ordered the release of Atteh from detention.

While pleading in mitigation, the Defence Counsel urged the Court to show leniency, describing the accused persons as first-time offenders.

The sentences were announced as being subject to confirmation by the Appropriate Superior Authority.

However, it is within the rights of the accused personnel to appeal the judgment of the GCM, if they are dissatisfied.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kenyan Law Court dismisses case of man seeking compensation after his wife eloped with another man from hospital

  A lawsuit filed by a man seeking to be compensated by St Mary's Mission Hospital in Kenya for allowing his wife to leave the hospital with another man after giving birth, has been struck out by a law court.    The appellant had sued the St. Mary's Mission hospital at Kakamega law courts in 2020 seeking general damages from the facility on grounds that the hospital had discharged his wife and allowed her to leave with another man. After delivering and at the time of discharge, the wife of the appellant claimed he was the baby's father.   The court of appeal judges Patrick Kiage, Mumbi Ngugi and Francis Tuiyott sitting at the Kisumu Court of Appeal, empathized with the man, but disagreed that he (the appellant) be compensated by the hospital for not detaining his wife.  They upheld the lower court's judgement which added that there's no remedy that lies in the law for such grievances.   Kiage said;   "I agree that if a man takes the woman he loves to t...
Post a Comment
Read more

CJN Tanko unveils panel to hear Atiku’s appeal against Buhari

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed is presiding over the 7-man panel that will hear the appeals filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the February 23 poll. Other members of the panel are Bode Rhodes-Vivour, Amiru Sanusi, Uwani Abaji, Ejembi Eko, John Inyang Okoro and Olukayode Ariwoola. Atiku and his party are challenging the September 11 judgment of the Justice Mohammed Garba-led Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal which affirmed President Buhari’s victory at the polls. The appeals hearing has generated some controversies especially due to the silence of the Supreme Court on the justices that would constitute the panel, with the Coalition of United Progressives Party (CUPP) demanding the use of seniority in selecting them. A senior member of Atiku’s legal team, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), told reporters that they considered it strange that as at ...
Post a Comment
Read more

FRSC reinforces directive on use of google maps while driving

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has clarified its position on the use of Google Maps, The FCT Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ayuba Gora was quoted saying that driving with the aid of Google map using mobile phones is a serious traffic offence. Gora said this at the inauguration of the 2019 Ember Months Campaign by Lugbe Unit Command of the FRSC in Abuja yesterday. But, FRSC Spokesman Bisi Kazeem making reference to Gora’s comments said the Sector Commander was quoted out of context and his statement outrightly misrepresented. Kazeem said the FRSC as a technology-driven organisation is not and has never stood against the use of Google Maps by Motorists. The statement read: “To state the obvious, we have always enlightened the public on the position of the law on the use of phone while driving. “The statement he made during the flag off buttresses the position of the Corps, which is that any driver who intends to deploy the use of Google Map...
Post a Comment
Read more