Jolly Nyame, a former governor of Taraba State, will have to serve out his 12 years jail term except he is granted a presidential pardon.
The fate of Mr Nyame sealed on Friday came with the verdict of the Supreme Court in an appeal filed by the former governor.
The Court of Appeal had sentenced him to 12 years imprisonment for corruption charges involving about N1.6bn after being convicted at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The trial court had sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment on a total of 27 out of the 41 corruption charges ranging from criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation, taking valuable thing without consideration and receiving gratification as a public officer.
He was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
But the appeal court citing section 416 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 which prohibits the imposition of maximum sentences on first offenders, the Court of Appeal reduced the 14 years’ imprisonment to 12 years and imposed a N100m fine on him.
Delivering its verdict on Friday, the apex court quashed the fine and affirmed the conviction and sentencing of the former governor.
The apex court panel led by Justice Mary Peter-Odili, held that the Appeal Court was wrong to have imposed the fine on him without hearing from the appellant.
