TheCable

A five-man panel of the court of appeal sitting in Sokoto and presided over by Hannatu Sankey, a judge, has sentenced Murtala Jengebe, chairman of the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to a cumulative jail term of 41 years.

Jengebe was convicted by the court after the appellate court found him guilty on the seven out of the 10 counts of which he was earlier acquitted at the federal high court, Gusau, Zamfara.

In the lead judgment read by Habeeb Abiru, a judge, the earlier acquittal was set aside.

The appellate court held that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt seven out of the 10 counts of the money laundering charge brought against him by the EFCC.

He was consequently sentenced to five years imprisonment on each of four of the counts and seven years each on three other counts respectively.

However, the court ordered that the sentences shall run concurrently.

On May 12, 2017, the federal high court sitting in Gusau discharged and acquitted the convict on the 10 counts charge of money laundering but convicted him for engaging in private business while he was still in public service.

An offence he was never charged for by the commission.

Dissatisfied with the judgement of the lower court, the prosecution approached the court of appeal seeking it to set aside the judgement of the lower court.