Justice ministry prosecutor jailed 18 months for demanding bribe from suspect

The Borno state high court has sentenced Zanna Dalhatu, a lawyer, to 18 months in prison for demanding a N7million bribe.

Delivering the ruling on Monday, Umaru Fadawu, the presiding judge, did not give an option of fine.

The Maiduguri zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Dalhatu, a prosecuting counsel with the federal ministry of justice, on January 10.

Dalhatu was trailed and arrested in the process of collecting the bribe sum.

He was said to have demanded the bribe from one Shuaibu Mohammed, the chief accountant of Borno state Road Maintenance Agency (BORMA), to facilitate the termination of a criminal case against the staffer of the agency.

He was said to have promised to induce the investigating officers of the commission with the bribe to terminate the case.

But he pleaded not guilty to the charge.

While the EFCC presented three witnesses to prove its case against him, Zanna Hamza, the defence counsel, opted for a no case submission, which the court threw out and ordered that he opened his defence.

Not satisfied with the ruling, the defendant approached the appeal court, Jos division,

However, the appellate court upheld the Borno state high court’s ruling.

Upon amending the charge by the prosecution, Dalhatu pleaded guilty and was convicted and sentenced to prison.