The Nigerian governance system has been characterised with all shades of corruption by high-ranking officers participating in fraudulent practices and embezzlement of public funds. These Nigerian politicians have confronted authorized penalties for his or her involvement in corruption, resulting in imprisonment. 

Past the sentences, these high-profile instances have make clear the magnitude of the difficulty and the efforts to fight corruption inside the nation, reflecting the continued battle to advertise transparency, accountability, and good governance in Nigeria. On this dialogue, we’ll have a look at some notable Nigerian politicians who’ve been convicted and imprisoned for his or her corrupt actions.

Uzor kalu

Orji Uzor Kalu stands as a notable determine and one of many Nigerian politicians who’ve confronted imprisonment for his involvement in corruption. As a Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, he additionally serves because the Chief Whip of the Senate in addition to served as Governor of Abia State.

The courtroom discovered Uzor Kalu responsible of diverting state funds via a posh internet of transactions, together with fraudulent procurement of contracts, manipulation of monetary data, and unlawful transfers. Kalu was convicted by the Lagos Division of the Federal Excessive Court docket and sentenced to 12 years in jail for N7.65 billion fraud in 2019. He was convicted for defrauding the federal government of Abia State the place he was a governor for 8 years utilizing his firm, Slok Nigeria Restricted. 

Nonetheless, in Could 2020, the Supreme Court docket of Nigeria dominated that his trial was wrongly convicted and launched him from jail whereas ordering a retrial. Having tried once more, Kalu was launched from the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service Kuje in June 2020.

James ibori

James Onanefe Ibori was a former governor of Delta State, he was accused of stealing US$250 million from the Nigerian public purse in 2012. After the sentencing listening to, Sue Patten, head of the Crown Prosecution Service central fraud group, mentioned it will bid to confiscate the belongings Ibori had acquired.

Ibori pleaded responsible to 10 counts of cash laundering and conspiracy to defraud at Southwark Crown Court docket, London. Ibori was launched from jail in December 2016 after a courtroom order. He served solely 4 years out of the 13 years he was sentenced to.

Olabode George 

Olabode George confronted costs of contract which arraigned him and 4 others on a 163 count-charge of conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order, abuse of workplace and alleged unlawful award of contracts price N84 billion throughout his tenure because the chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). 

In 2009, Bode George was discovered responsible and sentenced to jail for 30 months. The choose discovered the defendants responsible on 47 out of the 68 counts which totalled  as much as 28 years. The Supreme Court docket discharged the conviction of Bode George in 2013 with claims that the EFCC had no proof that George meant to commit fraud on the NPA, and the costs of “contract splitting” have been unknown to legislation.

Joshua Dariye

Joshua Chibi Dariye was convicted by the  Federal Capital Territory, Gudu, Abuja in 2018 on the costs of prison breach of belief and misappropriation of funds whereas he was the Governor of Plateau state and was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment. Having been arrested in London, England in 2004 with massive sums of cash, he was accused of stealing about $9m of public funds and cash laundering.

Additionally, in 2007, EFCC found 23 counts of cash laundering involving alleged diversion of about N1.126 billion Plateau State Authorities’s ecological funds in opposition to Dariye. His sentence was diminished to 10 years in 2018.

James Bala Ngilari

James Bala Ngilari was convicted of awarding a contract for the procurement of 25 automobiles at a price of 167 million Naira ($548,891) with out following due course of. The previous governor of Adamawa was discovered responsible of 5 of the 17 costs levelled in opposition to him in September 2016 by the EFCC and was sentenced to five years with no possibility in tremendous.

He was later acquitted and freed earlier than he completed his sentence.