Abuja – A former Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gusau, Professor Magaji Garba, has been sentenced to 35 years imprisonment by a High Court sitting in Garki, Abuja.
Magaji Garba was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on five- count of fraud, including obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.
EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, during arraignment said Garba is being accused of extorting about N260 million from a contractor on the pretext of awarding him a N3billion contract for the perimeter wall fencing of the university.
One of the offences, according to Uwujaren, is contrary to section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Count two is quoted as reading, “That you, Professor Magaji Garba, whilst being the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Gusau on or about the 15th of May, 2019 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) from Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ministaco Nigeria Limited, a contractor executing the construction of the Grand Convocation Square of the Federal University, Gusau under the false pretence of awarding a project for the perimeter wall fencing of the University valued at the total sum of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira) which representation/pretense you knew to be false”.
The count reads, “That you, Professor Magji Garba, whilst being the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Gusau on or about the 1st August, 2019 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N150,000,000.00 (One Hundred and fifty Million Naira from Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, Managing Director/Chief Executive officer of Ministaco Nigeria Limited, a contract executing the construction of the Grand Convocation Square at the Federal University, Gusau under the false presence of awarding a project for the perimeter wall fencing of the University valued at the total sum of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira), which representation/pretense you knew to be false.”
