An Assistant Director in Borno State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Usman Abaji, has been sentenced to six months imprisonment for obstruction of justice on Monday.
Abaji was prosecuted by the EFCC Maiduguri Zonal Office on a one-count charge of willful obstruction of the Commission to exercise its powers to investigate and prosecute a fraudulent matter after one Ibrahim Goni Bama whom he stood as surety for ran away.
The anti-graft agency had had Bama arrested for his suspected involvement him with financial crimes but released him on administrative bail to Abaji. Bama, however absconded and when the Commission alerted Abaji about this, he was unable to produce Bama. Read also: We’ll Jail Parents Who Enrol Children Into Almajiri System – El-Rufai
Abaji pleaded guilty to the offence, as contrary to Section 38(2) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (Establishment) Act 2004 and punishable under section 38(2)(b) of the same Act.. In his ruling, Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment with 600,000 naira option of fine.
