Former Minister Sarah Ochekpe, 2 Others Jailed In Jos

                           •Sarah

| The Daily Crucible | Tuesday, February 22, 2022

The Federal High Court Jos Division has sentenced a former Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, to three month imprisonment.

Also sentenced alongside Ochekpe are Raymond Dabo and the Plateau State Coordinator of Jonathan Campaign Organization, Leo-Sunday Jitong. Both also bagged three-month imprisonment each.

The trifecta had been standing trial for four years on charges bordering on conspiracy and money laundering brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) amounting to over N450 million Allison Madueke Diezani Bribe.

The sentence however has an option of a fine of N1m.

Ochekpe served as Minister under former President Goodluck Jonathan while Raymond Dabo was a former chairman of the People Democratic Party in Plateau state, Raymond Dabo.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the three were convicted and sentenced to six years imprisonment each by Justice H. M. Kurya of the Federal High Court, Jos, Plateau State, on an amended three - count charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering.

They were alleged to have received the sum of N450million from Fidelity Bank Plc through cash and wire transfer by some oil companies and former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election. 

Investigation had  showed that on 26th March, 2015, the sum of N450million were withdrawn from the  Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, by Fidelity Bank Plc, Jos main branch and it was handed over to the defendants in cash after they signed for collection.

Though the defendants claimed that they handed over the money to late Senator Gyang Pwajok, the Plateau State PDP Governorship candidate in 2015, they however failed to provide any evidence to support the claim.

The defendants were convicted on count one,  bordering on  conspiracy to accept cash payment above  threshold under the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2012 (as amended) and sentenced to  three (3) years imprisonment with an option of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira) fine each.

On count two, the defendants were convicted and sentenced to three (3) years imprisonment with an option of N2, 000,000 (Two Million Naira) fine each. The sentences are to run consecutively.