TheCable

Jolly Nyame, former governor of Taraba state, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Nyame was charged on 41 counts of fraud but was found guilty on 27.

The federal capital territory high court gave him no option of fine.

The court blamed him for financial recklessness and brazen display of executive power without following due process.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Nyame to court for allegedly diverting N1.64 billion while he served as governor of Taraba between 1999 and 2007.

The EFCC presented various witnesses who alluded to the fact that Nyame approved the diversion of various funds amounting to over N345 million to a company, Saman Global, within five weeks in 2005.

In its ruling, the court found Nyame guilty of breach of trust involving his alleged fraudulent approval of N250m for the purchase of stationery and office equipment on December 30, 2004, among other allegations.

Earlier, the trial had been stalled by successive appeals by Nyame challenging the validity of the charges against him by the EFCC in July 2007.

In 2016, the supreme court dismissed the defendant’s appeals against the validity of the charges.

According to the judge, the actions of the perpetrators under the watch of the ex-governor can be likened to the story of Alibaba and the 40 thieves.