EFCC secures conviction of Gombe Magistrate over N1m bribery

Gombe State High Court, presided over by  Justice H.H. Kereng has convicted and sentenced Mohammad Suleiman Kumo, a magistrate, to two years and six months imprisonment over a N1 million bribery case prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Kumo, who served at the Chief Magistrate Court, Pantami, Gombe State, was convicted after changing his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty” during the resumed hearing of the matter on May 5, 2026.

The magistrate had initially been arraigned by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on December 3, 2025 on a three-count charge bordering on bribery and corruption.

One of the charges against him stated that on November 6, 2024, while acting in his official capacity as a magistrate, he received N1 million through Zenith Bank account number 2273938871 belonging to one Adamu Ahmed, a registrar attached to his court.

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According to the EFCC, the act contravened Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

The case initially suffered a legal challenge after the defendant, through his counsel, Adamu Bawa, filed a preliminary objection questioning the jurisdiction of the court to try him.

The defence argued that Kumo, as a judicial officer, ought to have been referred to the Judicial Service Commission, JSC, for disciplinary action rather than being prosecuted in court.

However, prosecution counsel, A. Aliyu, opposed the objection, insisting that the defendant was a magistrate and not a judicial officer within the meaning of Section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

In a ruling delivered on February 17, 2026,  Kereng upheld the arguments of the prosecution and affirmed the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter.

At the resumed sitting on May 5, counsel to the defendant informed the court that Kumo had decided to change his plea.

When the charges were re-read to him, the magistrate pleaded guilty.

Following the guilty plea, the prosecution informed the court that substantial time and resources had already been expended in investigating and prosecuting the matter and urged the court to convict the defendant and order him to pay N500,000 as compensation to the EFCC.

Delivering judgment,  Kereng described the offence as grave and held that the compensation sought by the prosecution was not excessive.

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“I hereby convict you for the offence of corruption under Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000,” the judge ruled.

The court subsequently sentenced Kumo to two years and six months imprisonment with an option of N250,000 fine and also ordered him to pay N500,000 compensation to the EFCC for the cost of investigation and prosecution.

The EFCC disclosed that the convict’s prosecution followed complaints submitted to the Gombe State Ministry of Justice by Abubakar Isa Jauro Kuna and Suleiman Haruna over alleged bribery.

The complaints prompted investigation by the anti-graft agency, leading to his eventual prosecution and conviction.