Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court, Lagos has sentenced two former staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Christian Nwosu and Tijani Bashir, to an accumulative 91-year jail term after finding them guilty of their involvement in the laundering of N264.8 million in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had alleged that the money was proceed of unlawful activities, specifically that it was part of the $115 million largesse doled out by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the election.
According to EFCC, Nwosu and Tijani Bashir were re-arraigned by the EFCC on an amended nine-count charge on March 7, 2018.
Justice Idris had on January 24, 2019 convicted them, and fixed sentencing to today, January 25, 2019.
The trial judge, thereafter, sentenced Nwosu to seven years imprisonment on counts one, two and nine; and five years imprisonment on counts three and four.
Tijani Bashir was sentenced to seven years on counts one and two; five years on counts three and four; seven years on counts five, six and seven; eight years on count eight; and seven years on count nine.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
The Court also ordered Nwosu to forfeit to the Federal Government of Nigeria a landed property at Okpanaman in Delta State valued N5 million, another landed property at Okpanaman, Delta State valued at N20 million, and the sum of N5 million raised in favour of the EFCC.
Tijani Bashir was ordered to forfeit to the Federal Government of Nigeria a four-bedroom flat located at 6, Umeh Street, Wise 2, Abuja.