The law, they say, is no respecter of persons. Such was the case in Gombe State on Friday when an Area Court judge in the state was ordered to be remanded in prison custody by a Federal High Court sitting in the state, over fraud allegations preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The suspect, Umar Y. Gwani, was accused of collecting money from the public through false pretence and conspiracy, causing the EFCC to charge him before the Federal High Court on a four-count charge.
According to counsel to EFFC, Zarami Mohammed, the suspect conspired with two others to sell plots of land belonging to the Gombe State Government to the public through false pretence, without contacting the Ministry of Land and Survey and the Local Government Area in which the plots of land were located.
Also, the EFCC counsel said the accused judge denied receiving payment amounting to N7 million, proceeds from the sale of the plots of land.
However, after the hearing, counsel to the accused, Mukaan Kingsley, expressed surprise at the disparity between the listed count charges and what transpired in court, The Nation reported.