Former Nigerian Minister Sentenced to 75 Years for Corruption
A Nigerian court has sentenced a former minister to 75 years in prison for misuse of public funds. The verdict is seen as one of the country's rare convictions reaching senior officials in anti-graft cases. Prosecutors said the ruling could speed up other pending corruption files.
A Nigerian federal high court has sentenced a former minister to 75 years in prison on charges of misuse of public funds and money laundering. In its ruling, the court underlined that the scale and duration of the offence were the main reasons for the heavy term.
The verdict is one of the country's rare convictions reaching senior figures in a decades-old anti-graft campaign. Legal observers noted that allegations over how infrastructure and development funds were managed during the former minister's tenure proved decisive in the case. Defence lawyers said they will appeal.
Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said the ruling could speed up other pending corruption files. International business circles in Lagos and Abuja said predictability in legal processes is important for the investment climate. The European Union called the verdict a 'significant step in the right direction'.
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