The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reduced the jail terms of two former governors: Joshua Dariye of Plateau State, and Jolly Nyame of Taraba State.

A Federal High Court in Gudu, Abuja had sentenced Dariye to a 14-year jail in June for fraud and mismanagement of funds while in office as governor of Plateau state between 1999 and 2007.

Justice Adebukola Banjoko ‎in a judgment that lasted nearly eight hours convicted the ex-governor on 15 out of the 23 counts levelled against him..

The former governor was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a charge of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of over N1.16bn Ecological Funds allocated to the state.

In another related development, the Court of Appeal has reduced the jail term of former Governor Nyame from 14 to 12 years.

The court also fined the former governor the sum of N495million.

The lead judgment on Friday held that the lower court erred when it took it upon itself not to impose fine as such in counts 1, 2 and 6 that have to do with criminal breach of trust.

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Gudu, Abuja had earlier this year sentenced the former to 14 years imprisonment after being convicted of misappropriating N1.64 billion from the state’s treasury through shoddy stationery contracts which he awarded at the tail of his eight years administration in 2007. (NAN, Channels TV report)