A Gombe State High Court has convicted and sentenced a magistrate, Mohammad Kumo, to two years and six months’ imprisonment for bribery, following his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice H.H. Kereng, who delivered the judgment on Wednesday, also gave the convict an option of a N250,000 fine and ordered him to pay N500,000 as compensation to the EFCC for the cost of investigation and prosecution.
Kumo was arraigned on December 3, 2025, on a three-count charge bordering on corruption. At the initial stage of the trial, he pleaded not guilty and challenged the jurisdiction of the court through his counsel, Adamu Bawa.
The defence had argued that as a judicial officer, the defendant ought to be tried by the Judicial Service Commission rather than a regular court.
However, the prosecution counsel, A. Aliyu, countered that a magistrate did not fall within the category of judicial officers as defined under Section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
In a ruling delivered on February 17, 2026, Justice Kereng upheld the prosecution’s argument and affirmed the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
One of the charges against Kumo stated that he received N1 million on November 6, 2024, through a Zenith Bank account belonging to a court registrar, Adamu Ahmed, while serving at the Chief Magistrate Court in Pantami, Gombe State.
At the resumed hearing on May 5, 2026, the defendant made a dramatic U-turn, changing his plea from not guilty to guilty after the charges were re-read to him in court.
Following the plea, the prosecution urged the court to convict him and award N500,000 as compensation.
Delivering judgment, Justice Kereng described the offence as serious and convicted the magistrate under Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
“I hereby convict you for the offence of corruption. The sum of N500,000 is not excessive as compensation for investigation and prosecution,” the judge ruled.
The case stemmed from a petition submitted to the Gombe State Ministry of Justice by two complainants, Abubakar Isa Jauro Kuna and Suleiman Haruna, who accused the magistrate of demanding and receiving bribes.
The EFCC subsequently investigated the allegations, leading to Kumo’s arraignment and eventual conviction.
The judgment adds to a growing list of anti-corruption prosecutions by the commission, reinforcing efforts to sanitise the judiciary and public service.
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