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| Douglas Williams and Abba Ishaku |
Two officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Douglas
William and Abba Ishaku, who were arraigned on October 17, 2010, before an
Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Abubakar Umar in a four-count charge
bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence were on
October 4, 2012, sentenced to five years imprisonment without an option of
fine.
William and Ishaku were sentenced to two years each on counts one and
two; and six months each on counts three and four. The sentences are however to
run concurrently.
The two officers were arrested in 2010 in a ‘sting operation’. Until
their arrest, the duo was stationed at the reception of the EFCC headquarters
in Wuse, Abuja.
Trouble started for the officers when they allegedly demanded for N100,
000 from Kullima Kachalla, a former Chairman of Bama Local Government in Borno
state in 2010, by posing as investigators of the EFCC.
They were alleged to have asked Mr. Kachalla to send them the money in
order to bribe other investigators of the Commission to destroy a petition
written to the EFCC, which indicted him (the former chairman) for alleged
mismanagement of public funds.
During trial, the court was told that Mr. Kachalla had alerted the EFCC
of the action of the two accused persons, necessitating an undercover
operation, where an EFCC officer, posing as Mr. Kachalla’s representative,
arranged a meeting with the accused.
Ishaku, second accused, allegedly called Mr. Kachalla by telephone,
asking him to bring the money to the Commission’s office in Wuse, Abuja. It was
in the course of the receipt of the money that the two staff were arrested and
subsequently arraigned.
In his ruling, Justice Umar said because the convicts have
suffered enough humiliation, their sentence should start from the date of their
arraignment being October 18, 2010.
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