The appeal court upholds the sentence of the former Commissioner of IMO for the abuse of the position

The Appeal Court, Oowerri, on Wednesday strengthened the sentence of a former Commissioner of the IMO State for Transportation, Lasberry Okafor-Hanywu, for fraud and abuse of position.

The IMO State High Court on March 14, 2023, sentenced the former Commissioner to be one year in prison for the acquisition of property fraud and position abuse.

Okafor -Anywu, who served as Commissioner during the administration of former Governor Rochas Okorocha, was charged with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on the accusation of three counts on the acquisition of property fraud and position abuse.

The Commission accused that the convicted, between 2015 and 2019, while serving as Chairman of the IMO Transportation Company Review Committee and then as a Commissioner of Transportation, illegally gained personal interests in the Management Lease Agreement involving Oma Oil & Industries Limited, where he became the chairman, director, and one -time signing of an account.

Not satisfied with the verdict, prisoners approached the appeal court to put it aside.

In the process of Wednesday, the court rejected Okafor-Hanywu’s appeal due to lack of achievements.

Judge Mohammed Lawal-Abubakar, who read the decision, stated that the prosecution was proven without doubt that a former commissioner who cheated gained government property and used his office for personal gain.