N1.6b Fraud: Court Jails Ex-Taraba Governor Jolly Nyame 14 Years

By Dipo Olowookere

A former Governor of Taraba State, Mr Jolly Nyame, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison by a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja.

The former Governor was convicted on Wednesday by Justice Adebukola Banjoko in connection with N1.6 billion fraud levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Banjoko said Mr Nyame should spend the next 14 years in prison without an option of fine after he was found guilty of criminally misappropriating state government’s funds while he was Governor of Taraba State from 1999 to 2007.

The judge, in a four-hour ruling, held that the former Governor was jailed two years for misappropriation of government funds, seven years for receiving gratification, and five years for obtaining valuable government properties without consideration.

However, the jail terms are to run concurrently, meaning the former Governor would only serve 14 years in jail.

It was gathered that the court found Mr Nyame guilty of 27 out of 41 counts he was charged with.