A Sokoto State High Court has sentenced an employee of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Mr. Anthony Mbanefo, to two years' imprisonment for embezzling N60m.
The money was said to have been approved by the Federal Government for the repair of two federal roads in the state.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission said in a statement by its Spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, that Mbanefo was charged before Justice Bello Duwale for holding private interest in a Federal Government contract, which led to the diversion of the money.
The ICPC said his actions violated the provisions of sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The commission told the court that the crime was committed in the months of September and October, 2013, when Mbanefo, who was a Senior Technical Officer 1, allegedly collected N20m on three different occasions from contractors handling the road projects.
He was said to have collected N40m from Crest Code Nigeria Limited and N20m from Dewlands International Limited, the companies handling the road projects.
The money was meant for the emergency maintenance repairs of Jabo-Kajiji Kummi and Rimawa-Sabon Birni roads, all in Sokoto State.
One of the charges read in part, "That you (Anthony Mbanefo) used your position to confer corrupt advantage upon yourself when you collected the sum of N20m to execute the contract for the emergency maintenance repairs between Km183+300 and Km 184+400 at Sululu along Rimawa- Sabon Birni, Niger Republic Road, Sokoto State, on behalf of Messrs Dewlands International Limited, awarded to it by FERMA for a contract sum of N40m.
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