Appeal Court Sets Aside High Court Verdict on Nggilari

By Daji Sani In Yola

The Appeal Court sitting in Yola Thursday set aside an earlier judgment of Justice Nathan Musa of the Yola High Court which had sentenced a former governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Bala James Nggilari, to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.

The presiding judge of the Appeal Court, Justice Olayemi Folashade Omoleye, said Nggilari  was discharged and acquitted on the ground that he (Nggilari) was not a procurement entity as the trial court noted in its earlier judgement.

The former governor had earlier been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the misappropriation of N160 million and misconduct alongside the then Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Ibrahim Andrew Welye and former Finance Commissioner Sanda Lamurde.

They were accused of criminal conspiracy contrary to section eight of the penal code.

Nggilari had been sentenced to a five-year jail term and granted bail by the same court after spending barely one month in prison custody under controversial circumstances.

Speaking shortly after the court judgment, counsel to the former governor, Mr. Obed Wadzani, pointed out that the charges preferred against the former governor were based on the state procurement law and the charges did not state any offences he committed.

Details later…