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The year 2019 came and is ending with loads of court cases involving many Nigerian big wigs including senators, former governors and a host of other top-notch politicians.
Although relevant Nigerian agencies including the Nigeria Police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the State Security Services (SSS) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offence Commission (ICPC) filed various suits and made many arraignments of accused persons before court across Nigeria, some cases stood out among the others.
Some of such cases even though there were brought before the court years ago were brought to a logical conclusion in 2019, others are still in court with the hope of coming to an end soon.
Listed below are some of the cases which received landmark judgement delivery by courts across Nigeria.
1. A former Plateau state governor Joshua Dariye
On Wednesday, June 12, a Federal Capital Territory High slammed a 14-year jail term on a former governor of Plateau state, Joshua Dariye.
Dariye who also served a former lawmaker of the National Assembly was found guilty of diverting N1.162 billion state ecological funds while he was governor between 1999 and 2007.
The court’s judgment on his matter came without an option of fine after he was arraigned on a 23-count charge for the offence in 2007.
A Federal Capital Territory High slammed a 14-year jail term on a former governor of Plateau state, Joshua Dariye.
Source: Depositphotos
Delivering the judgement, Justice Adebukola Banjoko, sentenced Dariye to two years in prison for criminal breach of trust and 14-years for criminal misappropriation of funds.
The court also ruled that the sentencing will run concurrently.
2. Orji Uzor-Kalu
As a former governor of Abia state and current senator of the ninth Senate, many Nigerians were shocked after a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos slammed a 12-year jail sentence on Orji Uzor-Kalu.
The shock came to many Nigerians who believed that having defected from the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) which he founded to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Kalu would have been free.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos slammed a 12-year jail sentence on Orji Uzor-Kalu.
Source: UGC
However, on Thursday, December 5, the court in its final judgement ordered that Kalu and Jones Udeogwu, his commissioner of finance during his tenure as governor in Abia state be sent to prison for laundering N7 billion meant for the Abia state government.
3. Atiku Abubakar/ Muhammadu Buhari 2019 presidential election
On February 23, 2019, Nigerians went to the polls to elect its president with then-incumbent Muhammadu Buhari of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as major contenders.
After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared President Buhari as the winner of the 2019 presidential election, Atiku and his party proceeded to the tribunal against the declaration of the electoral body.
Atiku and the PDP claimed the results released by INEC were different from what the party and some of its agents had allegedly seen on the server.
Source: Facebook
Their appeal was premised on claims that the results released by INEC were different from what the party and some of its agents had allegedly seen on the server.
However, in a historic ruling, on Wednesday, October 30, the Supreme Court after several processes affirmed the pronouncement by INEC that President Buhari won the 2019 presidential election.
4. Former governors pension
In a groundbreaking judgement, a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi area of Lagos state ordered that all pensioned received by former governors serving as ministers and lawmakers at the National Assembly be recovered by the Federal Government.
The court in its judgement directed that the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, challenge the legality of states’ pension laws which allows permitting former governors and other ex-public officials to collect pensions.
The judgement of the court followed a suit – FHC/L/CS/1497/2017 – filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project questioning the payment of pensions to former governors serving as either lawmakers, ministers or assuming other public offices across the nation.
Godswill Akpabio served as governor of Akwa Ibom state, a senator of the eighth Assembly and is now the minister of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Source: Facebook
The judgement was given by Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos state.
Some of the individuals who would be affected by the judgement include a former governor of Akwa Ibom state, Godswill Akpabio, who served as a senator of the eighth Assembly and now the minister of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Others are a former governor of Kwara state, Bukola Saraki, Rotimi Amaechi, Rochas Okorocha of Imo state among many others.
5. Dayo Adeyeye/ Biodun Olujimi
After emerging victorious in the just-concluded general election, an Appeal Court in a November 6, judgment declared Boidun Olujimi winner of the Ekiti South Senatorial district.
The court in its judgment sacked the then-Senate spokesperson, Dayo Adeyeye as the senator representing the people of Ekiti South.
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Olujimi had in her petition asked the tribunal to nullify Adeyeye’s victory on the grounds that the election was marred by massive riggings and irregularities.
She also challenged the result of the February 23 election on the grounds that she scored the highest number of votes cast.
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