Onimisi Alao, Yola
An Adamawa State High Court has sentenced a former Executive Secretary of the state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board (CPWB), Bishop Jinga Mayo, to five years at a correctional centre over financial misappropriation
The high court sitting in Yola on Monday which said the sentence is without option of fine, further sentenced the bishop to six months imprisonment with N50, 000 option of fine on a separate count.
Justice Nathan Musa, who presided over the court, said the jail terms are to run concurrently.
Justice Nathan found Bishop Jinga guilty of diverting N69.189 million out of N346.8 million released to his board by the previous state government in respect of 2016 Christian pilgrimage.
The court convicted Bishop Jinga Mayo on counts 2 and 3, for converting government’s money for his personal use, while discharging and acquitting him on count 1 for failure of prosecution to prove its case beyond doubt.
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The bishop had been charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for “making false return in respect to finances, conferring of corrupt advantage upon himself and making false statement to the officer of the ICPC.”
He was accused of diverting into his pocket the money which was meant to settle the entitlements of the committee members for the exercise.
Bishop Jinga had earlier told the court that he used the money to sponsor agricultural training programme organised for Christian pilgrims in Israel.
The court had dismissed the claim because he failed to provide evidence to back it.
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