GOMBE COURT JAILS MAGISTRATE FOR BRIBERY
Read Time:1 Minute, 29 Second
Agency Report
Justice H H Kereng of the Gombe High Court has convicted and sentenced a magistrate, Mohammad Suleiman Kumo, to two years and six months imprisonment for bribery.
Kumo was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a three-count charge bordering on corruption.
The defendant was initially arraigned on December 3, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, at the resumed hearing on May 5, 2026, he changed his plea to guilty.
Earlier in the proceedings, Kumo had challenged the jurisdiction of the court, arguing through his counsel, Adamu Bawa, that as a judicial officer, he ought to be tried by the Judicial Service Commission. The prosecution, led by A. Aliyu, opposed the application, maintaining that a magistrate does not fall under that classification as defined by the law. The court upheld the prosecution’s argument in a ruling delivered on February 17, 2026.
One of the charges stated that Kumo, while serving at the Chief Magistrate Court in Pantami, received a sum of N1 million through a bank account belonging to a court registrar, in violation of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Following his guilty plea, the prosecution urged the court to convict the defendant and order him to pay compensation for the resources expended during the investigation and trial.
In his judgment, Justice Kereng affirmed the gravity of the offence and convicted Kumo accordingly. He sentenced him to two years and six months imprisonment, with an option of a N250,000 fine, and ordered him to pay N500,000 as compensation to the commission.
The case stemmed from complaints by Abubakar Isa Jauro Kuna and Suleiman Haruna, which led to an investigation by the Gombe State Ministry of Justice, culminating in Kumo’s prosecution and conviction.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0