Poly lecturer jailed five years for diverting study grant

 

Hon. Justice Hassan Usman of the Kebbi State High Court, Birnin Kebbi Judicial Division, has sentenced a dismissed staff of Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Kebbi State, Muhammed Sani Nuhu, to five years imprisonment for deviously allotting over N6 million belonging to the polytechnic to himself.

 The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission had said that Nuhu, a former academic staff member of the polytechnic, received the monies under a special grant offered to him to attend an international conference in Aberdeen, United Kingdom. The first tranche of payment was sent to him for a Doctor of Philosophy programme at the University of Technology Malaysia, respectively.

He however refused to embark on the said programme and converted the money to his personal use. Counsel to the ICPC, Mashkur Salisu, was said to have told the court that Nuhu's action was contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practises and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, as well as Section 311 of the Penal Code, and punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Law (Cap 89) Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

The trial judge found the former poly lecturer guilty on counts one to three and dismissed count four levelled against him. Justice Usman thereafter sentenced him to five years imprisonment on each of the three counts.

 While the sentences are to run concurrently, the convict has been directed to make a restitution of the sum of N6.5m million to the Federal Government.

He however refused to embark on the said programme and converted the money to his personal use. Counsel to the ICPC, Mashkur Salisu, was said to have told the court that Nuhu's action was contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practises and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, as well as Section 311 of the Penal Code, and punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Law (Cap 89) Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963.

The trial judge found the former poly lecturer guilty on counts one to three and dismissed count four levelled against him. Justice Usman thereafter sentenced him to five years imprisonment on each of the three counts.

 While the sentences are to run concurrently, the convict has been directed to make a restitution of the sum of N6.5m million to the Federal Government.