The Chief Justice of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has decongested the Nigerian Correctional Service Center, among the beneficiary was former house of representatives member, Chuma Nzeribe.
Nzeribe who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment without option of fine in the matter of Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Hon. Chuma Nzeribe with charge No FCT/HC/791/2020 which was filed by the EFCC and presided by Court 14 Hon. Justice Yusuf Halilu was released
The convict earlier on filed an application for his bail pending appeal and the EFCC also responded that the FCT High Court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain any application by the Applicant since there’s a pending Appeal before the Court of Appeal and all parties have filed their briefs of argument and issues were joined. While parties were waiting for a date to argue the application for the bail pending Appeal before the Court, the CJ went to the prison and released the Convict. It’s pertinent to note that, the Convict was convicted since May 23rd, 2022 in absentia.
Justice Yusuf made an order after the conviction for the Convict to appear before the Court for sentencing. After thorough surveillance, the Convict was subsequently arrested by the EFCC sometime this year and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine among others. The Convict was sent to the Nigerian Correctional Service barely 3 Months back.
He was jailed on charges bothering on impersonation, possession of Federal Government documents and using same to fraudulently acquire land.
Nzeribe, who contested the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was convicted on four-count criminal charges brought against him by the federal government.
EFCC had told the court that Nzeribe wrote the commission a Memorandum of Understanding MoU surrendering the land he fraudulently acquired to the real owner, Ishaya Madi.
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