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EXCLUSIVE: Jailed Dariye, Nyame To Buy Appeal Court Judgements To Revive Their Political Careers

To revoke his jail sentence, Dariye has contracted Ahmed Raji (SAN) to use his good relationship with the lead judge handling the matter, Justice Abdul Aboki, to get a safe landing. This wouldn’t be Raji’s first attempt to represent questionable individuals with glaring corruption charges; he is notably the counsel of Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (NSA), who is standing trial for his role in the alleged N2.1billion arms deal.


Joshua Dariye, convicted former Governor of Plateau State, and Jolly Nyame, jailed former Governor of Taraba State, have all but perfected their strategies to use corrupt judicial means to invalidate their prison terms so that they can return to politics.

The Charges Against Them
In 2007, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged and arraigned Dariye, a serving senator, on a 23-count charge bothering on money laundering.
He was accused of diverting N1.126bn from the Plateau Government’s ecological funds.

In June 2018, after 11 years of trial punctuated by a series of legal delay tactics, a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court convicted him. Justice Adebukola Banjoko, the presiding judge, sentenced him to two-year and 14-year jail terms to be served concurrently without an option of fine.

Dariye’s sentence came a month after Nyame was sentenced to prison by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for fraud.

Nyame was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 41-count of allegedly diverting N1.64billion during his eight-year governorship tenure between 1999 and 2007.

Among other allegations, witnesses provided by EFCC said Nyame approved the diversion of various funds to the tune of N345 million to a company, Saman global, within five weeks in 2005.
Although Nyame denied knowing the company, the court found him guilty of breaching public trust after noting that he confirmed approving the memo ordering a transfer of the funds to the said company.

Adebukola Banjoko, the presiding judge, held that Nyame was guilty of 27 of the 41 charges against him.[story_link align="left"]62742[/story_link]

Specifically, Nyame was sentenced to two, five, seven and 14 years in jail respectively after being convicted for four charges that include receiving gratification, obtaining public funds without due consideration, and criminal breach of trust.

However, the terms are to run concurrently, meaning Nyame will serve 14 years in jail unless a higher court decides otherwise.

The Appeals

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To revoke his jail sentence, Dariye has contracted Ahmed Raji (SAN) to use his good relationship with the lead judge handling the matter, Justice Abdul Aboki, to get a safe landing. This wouldn’t be Raji’s first attempt to represent questionable individuals with glaring corruption charges; he is notably the counsel of Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (NSA), who is standing trial for his role in the alleged N2.1billion arms deal. 

Meanwhile, Nyame is using Kanu Agabi (SAN), another lawyer with a reputation for defending corrupt public office holders. Agabi also has a solid relationship with the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen. 

Agabi it was who defended Bukola Saraki, Senate President, from the moment the Supreme Court validated his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal for alleged false assets declaration. Agabi also defended Steve Oronsanye, former Head of Service of the Federation and former Chairman, Presidential Committee on Financial Action Task Force, in his alleged N2billion corruption trial. Other public officials with corruption cases whom he defended were Murtala Nyako, former Governor of Adamawa State, and Haliru Bello, a former Minister of Defence and ex-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Haliru Bello.

For both men, there is an attempt to fast-track their appeals in time for them to be able to stand for the 2019 general election.

Not Qualified

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According to the Nigerian constitution, anyone who “within a period of less than 10 years before the date of an election… has been convicted and sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty or he has been found guilty of a contravention of the Code of Conduct” is ineligible to present himself/herself for election into public office.

Despite this, Dariye has, through his supporters, clandestinely obtained the All Progressives Congress (APC) election forms to contest in 2019 so he can return to the National Assembly.

Topics
Politics