Written by Lanre Adewole, AbujaWednesday, 29 June 2011
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, has upheld the two-year jail term without an option of fine imposed on a police officer, Corporal Akingbola Johnson, by the Abuja High Court for demanding and receiving N10,000 bribe for bail.
A statement issued in Abuja, on Tuesday, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) by its spokesperson, Mr Folu Olamiti, stated that it arraigned the convict in 2005 over the offence.
The statement read: “A police officer Corporal Akingbola Johnson, is to spend the next two years in prison for demanding bribe from suspects in police custody.
“Mr Akingbola on 16th June, 2011 lost his appeal against a judgement of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court which had convicted him to two years imprisonment without option of fine.
“Justice Lawan Garba of the Federal Court of Appeal in Abuja upheld the earlier judgement.
“The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had on 31st May, 2005 arraigned Mr Akingbola before the FCT High Court in Abuja for demanding and receiving bribe of N10,000.00 before granting bail to two suspects, an offence contrary to section 8 (i) (a) and punishable under section 8(i)(b)(ii) of the ICPC Act, 2000.
“The suspects, Chiduban Nwaogo and Victor Uzor, were arrested on suspicion of being in possession of Marijuana and were detained at the Utako Police Station. When one Mr Okwudili Isielu, who claimed to be the brother to the suspects requested for the bail of the suspects, the police officer demanded for N10,000.00k(ten thousand naira).
“Okwudili complained to his lawyer, who advised him to petition the ICPC, intimating it of the request by the policeman. Consequent upon this petition, operatives of the ICPC mapped out strategies and had him arrested after he had collected from Mr Isielu N10,00 marked money.
“In his judgement, Justice Garba said the court was not convinced with the defence of the accused, more so, when he was caught red handed.”
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