Professor Magaji Garba, a former Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gusau, has been sentenced to 35 years imprisonment by Justice Maryam Hassan Aliyu at a High Court sitting in Garki, Abuja after he was found guilty of a five-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense 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 an N3 billion contract for the perimeter wall fencing of the University.
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 the university under the false pretense of awarding a project for the perimeter wall fencing of the University valued at the total sum of N3billion.
The offense is contrary to section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Delivering judgment today, the trial judge said the court was satisfied that the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
He pronounced the defendant “guilty” on the five counts, and sentenced him to seven years on counts 1-3 without the option of fine and seven years imprisonment on counts 4 and 5, with option of N10 million fine each.
NewsAnnexOnline 