The Court of Appeal, Sokoto Division, has affirmed the four-year jail term given two finance officials of the Sokoto State Government, Mr Kabiru Bello and Mr Bashar Garba, by the Sokoto State High Court.

Garba, before his conviction by the lower court, was the State National Union of Teachers treasurer, while Bello was a worker with the state Ministry of Finance.

They were investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on allegations of fraud and were found guilty by Justice Mohammed Mohammed of Sokoto High Court No.7, who sentenced each of them to four years in prison and also ordered for the restitution of the proceeds of crime to the victims.

Dissatisfied with the said judgment, they approached the Court of Appeal Sokoto Division through their counsel, Mr Kelechi Ogbonna, urging the court to set aside the judgment of the trial court.

A statement on Monday by the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, said the commission’s counsel, Mr Mashkur Salisu, argued at the Appeal Court that the convicts were sentenced by the lower court for contravening the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

“Having listened to the arguments from both counsel, the Appeal Court, in a unanimous decision, upheld the judgment of the lower court and dismissed the convicts’ appeal for lack of merit,” the statement explained.