Justice H.H. Kereng of the Gombe High Court, sitting in Gombe State, has convicted and sentenced Mohammad Suleiman Kumo, a magistrate, to two years and six months’ imprisonment for bribery.

Kumo was initially arraigned on December 3, 2025, on three counts of bribery filed by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

However, on December 30, 2025, the defendant, through his counsel, Adamu Bawa, filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try him, arguing that he was “a judicial officer who ought to be taken to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for any wrongdoing if such exists”. The motion was opposed by EFCC counsel, A. Aliyu, who argued that the defendant was a magistrate and not a judicial officer, citing Section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

The judge upheld the prosecution’s submission in his ruling on jurisdiction delivered on February 17, 2026.

Count one of the charges reads: “That you Muhammad Suleiman Kumo being a magistrate at Chief magistrate Court Pantami in such capacity on or about the 6th day of November 2024 in Gombe , Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did receive for yourself monetary benefit of N1 million through Zenith bank account number 2273938871 belonging to one Adamu Ahmed, a registrar in your court, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”

He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.

At the resumed sitting on May 5, 2026, counsel to the defendant informed the court that Kumo wished to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.

Following the guilty plea, the prosecution counsel said the Commission had expended time and resources prosecuting the case before the change of plea.

He urged the court to convict the defendant and, in addition to the sentence, order him to pay N500,000 as compensation to the Commission.

Delivering judgment, Justice Kereng noted the gravity of the offence, affirming that, “I hereby convict you for the offence of corruption under Section 10 (a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 of the ICPC Act. Also, N500,000 is not excessive as compensation for investigation and prosecution.”

He sentenced Kumo to two years and six months’ imprisonment, with an option of a N250,000 fine, and ordered him to pay N500,000 as compensation to the commission.

According to the Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, Kumo’s journey to the correctional centre began after the Gombe State Ministry of Justice alleged that one Abubakar Isa Jauro Kuna and Suleiman Haruna had lodged bribery complaints against him. The convict was investigated, charged in court and eventually convicted. (The Sun)

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