Money laundering: Ex- Kogi lawmaker jailed two years

A former lawmaker in the Kogi State House of Assembly, from Ogori/Magongo Mr. Gabriel Daudu was Monday sentenced to two years in prison by a Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja for money laundering.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, found him guilty on 77 out of the 208 counts pressed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The charges brought against him by the EFCC bordered on conspiracy, advanced fee fraud and money laundering involving about N1.4 billion.

But while Daudu was convicted on 77 counts and sentenced to two years on each count to run concurrently, Justice Ekwo, however, discharged and acquitted Albert Soje Adesina, a retired Army major, who served as majority leader of the Kogi State house of assembly between 2007 and 2011 on the one-count charged brought against him.

Daudu’a trial started before Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court Abuja before it was later transferred to the Lokoja division of the Federal High Court before Justice Ekwo, where Daudu and Adesina were re-arraigned twice on amended charges.

The prosecution counsel, Mr. Wahab Shittu, presented 13 witnesses and tendered 47 exhibits to prove the charges against Daudu.

Though Daudu, through his lawyer, Mr. O.J. Onoja (SAN), called seven witnesses in a bid to prove his innocence, the court however found him guilty as Justice Ekwo held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Daudu, who served as the caretaker chairman of the Ogori/Mangogo Local Government Area of Kogi State between January and July 2008, had been standing trial since April, 2010 alongside a former Commissioner for Agriculture in Kogi State, Albert Adesina.