The Court of Appeal, sitting in Makurdi, has reaffirmed the validity of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000,but upheld the seven years sentence of Mr. Ayuba Bakkat who was convicted for collecting bribes totaling N205,000 from applicants.
The court upheld that the citing of Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2003 in prosecuting cases “is null and void.”
A statement, signed by the Resident Consultant (Media and Event) of Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Folu Olamiti, said Mr. Bakkat was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in 2012, by a Keffi High Court, having collected bribes from Philip Adejoh and Obinna Ugwueze to help secure employments into the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for Ugwueze Amarachi and Andrew Elem.
The statement said the case against Bakkat was brought to the Court by ICPC on a 3-count charge of corruption punishable under Section 10(9)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
The statement said his counsel, Osakwe Morris, had sought the quashing of the judgment by the appellate court, on the grounds that the lower court had no jurisdiction and that the Act 2000 upon which the accused was tried was null and void.
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