Year in Review: List of Nigerian Politicians Jailed in 2023
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro and government policy
Everyone wants justice but on rare occasions do you see a Nigerian politician end up in prison for an offence or crime committed in the country. Few have happened in the past but not so many in 2023.
For a country that ranks high in corruption, and money laundering and is not new to forgery cases, vote buying, and other electoral act offences, court sentencing politicians to jail should be more frequent than the nation has experienced.
Source: UGC
However, it appears that Nigerian politicians have a way of getting themselves out of legal trouble using lawyers to spot the technicalities in lawsuits and court judgements.
Here are the two politicians the court has made to pay for their offences in 2023:
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Ike Ekweremadu
One that readily comes to mind is former Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who was jailed for nine years and eight months in the United Kingdom.
As reported by Channels TV, a judge at The Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey gave the judgement on May 5, 2023, after Ekweremadu was convicted of organ trafficking.
Ekweremadu, his wife, and their doctor, Obinna Obeta were found guilty of conspiring to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to obtain his kidney from the politician’s daughter, Sonia.
Wahab Hammed
On Thursday, December 7, Wahab Hammed, a ward Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lagos state's Surulere local government area, was sent to a one-year jail term.
Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lago High Court sitting in Ikeja gave the judgement after convicting Wahab on a two-count charge of conspiracy and bribery, Channels TV reported.
According to the EFCC Prosecutor, Samuel Daji, the APC chieftain conspired with one Segun Ijitola (who is still at large), to corruptly bribe voters during the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
Daji told the court that Wahab committed the offense at Unit 28, Gbaja Girls Junior High School, in Surulere on February 25, 2023.
Justice Ijelu, however, gave the APC chieftain an option of a fine of N1 million.
Top Nigerian politicians who appear in UK court in 2023
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that many Nigerian politicians are facing legal battles, not only in Nigeria but in some countries around the world, particularly in the United Kingdom.
Most of the cases these politicians face are around corruption and money laundering. Some have been prosecuted, while others are in a long battle to defend themselves.
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Source: Legit.ng
