The State High Court in Minna has sentenced Umar Farouk, a former deputy director in the Niger State Ministry of Land Transportation, to seven years in prison for bribery.
Farouq was charged in July 2020 for accepting N11 million from a contractor in exchange for the award of a contract by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
A seven-count allegation of self-gratification and the conferral of illicit advantage was levied against him.
In a statement released on Friday in Abuja, the ICPC spokeswoman, Azuka Ogugua, confirmed the situation.
She said: “ICPC prosecutor, Osuobeni Akpos, had told the court that Farouk while serving as the Deputy Director of Land Transport for the Niger State Ministry of Land Transportation in 2016, collected the sum of N11million as kickback from a contractor for the award of contract for the registration of auto mechanic workshops, registration of auto spare parts dealers, registration of motorcycle/tricycle dealers and registration of color code certification for commercial transport operators.
“The prosecution explained to the court how the convict had received money on different occasions sometimes N100,000, N500,000, N400,000, etc. to the tune of N11 million from one Oyabambi Stephen on behalf of Boyabam Services Global Limited in exchange for a contract.
“The court was also informed that the said action of the convict was in contravention of Sections 8 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under the same Act.”
