Mr James Bala Ngilari, a former Governor of Adamawa state, has been sentenced to five years in prison without the option of fine.
Yola High Court on Monday found Ngilari guilty of corruption charge filed against him by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The case was filed in September 2016.
The court presided over by Justice Nathan Musa, acquitted the former Secretary to the State Government, Mr Andrew Welye, and Former Commissioner of Finance, Mr Sunday Lamurde, who stood trial with the former governor on same offenses of 17 count charges.
Ex-Governor Bala Ngilari: Jailed five years Delivering judgement, Justice Musa, said that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Ngilari violated the Public Procurement Act of the state by awarding contract for the procurement of 25 vehicles for his commissioners at the cost of N167 million without following due process.
He said Ngilari’s action amounted to executive lawlessness.
Musa said that the five years was the least he could give Ngilari, whose lawyer, Mr Samuel Toni (SAN) pleaded for leniency “in view of his (Ngilari) invaluable contribution while he was the governor of the state during the trying moment of insurgency.”
Musa said that Ngilari would serve the sentence in the prison of his choice in the country “but for now he should start with Yola prison.”
Musa expressed hope that the conviction and sentence of Ngilari would serve as a deterrent to serving governors who engage in doing things without following due process.
