Two Police Officers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police Force, Kwara State Command, Ilorin have been sentenced to three and two years imprisonment respectively without option of fine for violating the provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The two accused persons, Police Sergeant Alih Tenimu and Police Corporal Salawooden Abubakar were each sentenced to three and two years imprisonment respectively for demanding and collecting the sum of N800,000 as bribe from a suspect involved in a criminal matter.
The Police Officers alongside one Amodu Adamson, now deceased, were said to have asked Mr. Bello Manisara to pay them the sum of N800,000 in order to close the case of criminal breach of trust, and threat to life, being investigated by them.
Following their persistent demand, Bello Manisara forwarded a petition to ICPC and a sting operation was carried out. The first accused person was arrested in his office while counting the bribe money he had received from the petitioner.
Consequently, the ICPC preferred a four-count charge against the accused persons on the 1st of June, 2013. The accused persons were said to have contravened Section 26(1)(c) and Section 10(a)(ii) of the ICPC Act, 2000.
In the course of the trial the accused pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge preferred against them. The ICPC prosecution team led by Barr. O. J. Ochigbo called four witnesses and submitted evidence to support his argument while the two accused persons called six witnesses, but no evidence to back their claims.
In his judgment, Justice A Mohammed of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin convicted the two accused persons on Monday on all the four-count charges.
The first accused person, Alih Tenimu was sentenced to three years imprisonment while the second accused, Salawooden Abubakar, bagged a two-year jail term both without option of fine.
