Justice Abubakar Talba, the Federal High Court, Abuja, judge who sentenced John Yusufu, former director in the Police Pension Office, to two years in prison with an option of N250,000 fine on each of the three counts, breached an agreement reached by parties in the case.
In the controversial ruling delivered on January 28, Mr. Talba sentenced Yusufu, who pleaded guilty to three of 20 counts charges bordering on embezzlement of over N23 billion, to two years in prison but gave the accused person an option of fine. The ruling drew anger from many Nigerians, including legal experts, who believe that granting an option of fine for such a monumental fraud would encourage corruption by public officers.
