Michael Igbinedion, younger brother of former Edo state governor, Lucky Igbinedion was today sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for charges bothering on money laundering. Michael, alongside one Mr Patrick Eboigbodin, an aide to former Governor Lucky Igbinedion were dragged before a federal high court in Benin city on an 81 count charge bordering on money laundering said to be carried out while Lucky Igbinedion was still governor of Edo state.
Delivering his judgement, Justice A.M Liman sentenced Michael Igbinedion to 6 years imprisonment with an option of fine of N1million for each of the three counts 79, 80 and 81, for which he was convicted. Mr Eboigbodin was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The accused used four companies, Gava Corporation Limited, Romrig Nigeria Limited, PML Securities Company Limited and PML Nigeria Limited to launder money.
140 comments:
Smh... d rich have options but d poor smh... the Ultimate judge will judge u all!
Chai
Nigeria my country
The judicial system is still the most corrupt power arm in Nigeria
Tufiakwa!!
3yrs for 25bn nd if it's N100,000 the indicted person will be killed. Smh
I love our justice system, 3M naira fine for 25 billion naira scam. Smh
Mtcheeeeew....buh dey don't offer yahoo boys options if any fine..do they know how much the igbinedions are worth..3million is change to them
What kind of irritating news is this,is this justice,or another to prove to the already oppressed Nigerian,that the rich is above the law. Rubbish,infact they should arrest the stupid judge
PARENTAL ADVISORY!!!
***explicit comment***
Lol, another slap in d wrist, just as d elder Broda Lucky said, when he was giving a chicken change fine....
a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said...
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God were is the justice...... There is God shah....
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***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***
Buh hw will someone that stole N25b be given an option of 3mill naira fine both of them should have been sentence 20yars each without any option of fine
Moral of the story...ssteal enough to post bail
Just 6yrs? SMH if it were an ordinary. Citizen you will hear something like 18yrs na wa o how are we sure he will even serve it
Sm1 who embezzled 25bn wnt be able to pay 3m, I wonder when our law will be more severe..rubbish
Ok ooooooo, na naija we dey😒😒
Big men nd their stealing habit
Bon voyage to prison man.This kinda justice should be dished out to governor of my state too.The legislature have enough evidence to nail him.I hope they win.
PARENTAL ADVISORY!!!
***explicit comment***
The one DAT has a rich father, gets to go free, while d one without a rich father serve his time and DAT of the one with d rich father.... Perfect Nollywood Script....
The judiciary system is rubbish and not fair @ll. Hw can one steal 25billion and sentence him to 6years with 3million option fine? But we yet send those who stole goats to life in prison. I give up on our judiciary system.
U don spoil my sleep with this yarn.
They prolly BRIBED the Judge to quickly round off the case b4 May 29th.
Dats hw dey steal our money. Its ntin new.
*smh* how much is 3 million compared to 25billion?
3M too small abeg.he wil pay like nw nw.......oju olè da?oju olè re!thievessss.the rich be getting richer,the Poor be getting poorer.wah a country!some pple neva chop anything today oo dem dey dey steal money Ole.
I love Suppy maggie
*smh* how much is 3 million compared to 25billion?
For 25b he gets option of 3m.......The rich can neva suffer...no mata wat.........
Family of ********-*-*---
Moye says so via BB Passport...Courtesy LIB....
PARENTAL ADVISORY!!!
***explicit comment***
Linda Ur headline next time should go thus "INTRODUCING THE FAMILY DAT RUBBED EDO PEOPLE FOR 8YRS"
Hmmmmmm, am I the only one dat thinks this judgement doesn't make sense????
KAI....3MIL FINE...WE R FINISHED IN THIS CIUNTRY...I HATE SEEIN DIS KIND OF NEWS...
DAT WARRI DUDE DR UFUOMA
An option of fine? Seriously!!! What deterrent is that suppose to achieve!! Kangaroo Justice
Money! Ego!
*sigh
Ha liman u get good heart o, u for say 25years na so that he go enjoy the 25m when he thief there. See he eyes like him papa own. As for eboigbodin that he own fit am. Make them go roast like chicken for there. Nonsense
Michael will pay them off.
Just pity the other man
with no option.
His sentence is unfair
is it not the same crime
the both men committed?
The judge has questions to ans.
Na wa o. This is cheating. Cos hin papa get name abi? God dey.
Sm1 who embezzled 25bn wnt be able to pay 3m, I wonder when our law will be more severe..rubbish
Nigeria!!!
Fantastic news.Just the perfect story to read about a few hours to labor day.where some people genuinely labor and usually in vain as their take home doesn't take them past the gates of their offices on pay day.
I like the message passed by our distinguished judges.STEAL BILLIONS,GIVE US A PERCENTAGE OF IT AND WE WILL ADMONISH YOU WITH A TAP ON THE WRIST.
Some day soon.The rich will be eaten.RAW!
Both the sentenced and the sentencer are bunkums. In a country where mad men are sane.
How can the Judge hand him an option of 3million naira fine after stealing 25 billion naira?! What the heck is wrong with this country and our judiciary?! If it were to be a poor man that stole a paltry commodity, they will hand him a more severe jail term without an option of fine!........ This is what frustrates EFFC and other law enforcement agencies! After passing true all the hogs, technicalities, hurdles and delays which the defence lawyer will put up, to arrive at a conviction; the judge will then come up with a very ridiculous sentence!!!
Naija too sweet. I so much love this country. 25b for 3m fine.. this business is really profitable
Nigeria make una change for good.
Very funny country we indeed are in.I heard a court sentenced a poor lady to jail 200 years for misappropriating 8 million naira.Are we really headed someplace as a country?
Smh smh smh smh smh
What a country we live in
Nonsense, d other guy was sentenced without a fine because his last name is not igbinedion
Shame on Nigeria judiciary! The other man is nobody of course no option. Shame!!!
Someone steals 25bilion n he fined 1 million? No wonder we complain about Indonesia drug death sentence our justice system is even more corrupt than i thought
Hmmm......Theatre of the absurd!! Otherwise how can this sentencing be explained
But one day sha, breeze will blow fowl yansh go expose!!!
Hmmmm OkpuruOla choi dis is gbese. Nawao
That vuvuzela P guy
25b n a fine of 3m dat judge must b insane!! Arant Nonsence
Seriously, this is a big scam.
Thieves
Faceoflib
The judge tried very,very well. 20 years for mr nobody without option of fine. Shoo! Some people escort others come this world.
Criminals. Buhari will Buhari your case. Engr Emy
6 years for 25B! Naija my Country
Ole
Lol,naija I hail...3m fine for 25b loot
Michael Igbinedion was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment with an option of fine (3Million naira) for an aledged crime of 25BN while the other man was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment without an option of fine, What a Country......The Judicial system in Nigeria always protect the Rich,Daris God oooh.
Interesting verdict...Smh! So he gets an option of fine of a stipend while the other guy, same offence doesn't, instead gets a longer term. lolz....Equity and Justice indeed!
This judge is incompetent Walahi. I don't knw law but how can accused of 25bn scam be fined chinchini 3 million. Dats crap na chicken change. Meanwhile the oda person gets 20 years?????
justice severed...wish is severed lk dat in Nigeria no matter ur status or how influential u are
Linda what do you expect? Dnt knw in this our country if you steal billions, ur smart but if you thief penny, lawyer self go hate u cos dem nogo see dier share.. .abeg let me sing with "African china's" poor ma wey steal Maggi we go see he face 4 crime fighters
26billion to 3million Nigeria my country
Apparently the law favors only the rich in this country.
Oh that is not just fair at all. They committed the same crime, why leave him and punish the other. Oh Nigeria why is your sting
SICK COUNTRY , SICK LEADERS, SICK CONSTITUTION, AND SICK JUDICIARY SYSTEM.
A classic case of some animals being more equal than others Can anyone say that justice have been served?
Abeg, steal more money and earn light sentence under GEJ but strongly bliv this won't continue under Buhari.
lol. 3 million fine? in 2019 he will come and contest for governor or state house of assembly. ptsheew
May God punish this useless and senseless judge. we saw this coming. he used the other man as a sacrifical lamb. why give igbinedion option of fine? if igbinedion was in the shoes of the other man he would have still giving him option of fine and sentence the other. Nigeria is in dire need of judicial reform and sack of corrupt and useless judges. They look at personality when delivery judgements
Mr Eboigbodin was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment cuz his not a public figure compared to lucky.
Can't understand a N25b thief getting 6yrs jail term wt 3m option of fine.. can't find the word deterrent in dis judgment but can see how dis wil encourage upcoming thieves.
may God punish the useless judge that presided over this case..
wtf ... 3million bail for a scarm of 25billion?
our judiciary is a sham..
for u all..
Human injustice to human person steal 25bn and u sentence him to prison even with an option of fine, while another man will steal goat and dey will give him life in prison with no option of fine. Hmmmmmn dere is God o
Ridiculous judgment. Hmmmmmm and he pockets his loot. Nigeria is one big joke. We should borrow a leaf from Indonesia jare make everybody fall in line
Haaaaa Nigeria is finished, ao can 2 pple steal #25b n gv 1 6yrs wt d option of #3m fine yl d 2nd 1 is given 20yrs wt out d option of fine, dat difft is jst too much nd judge is biased. Am sure d judge wl v his share 4rn d remaining #24.97b . GMB, pls we need u 2 review dis mata wen u resume
6yrs is better than none or payment of fine.
Wish same will be applicable to others.
What a crude country we found ourselves in? Someone found guilty of #25b Naira scam or fraud and he is sentence to a mere 6yrs imprisonment and with a walk away paltry fine of #3m. While a woman was last week slammed 256yrs imprisonment for sealing jst #8m from her employer. Ridiculous nation. Implying that the judge is encouraging the young once to commit reasonable scam provided they can offer a little token out of it, or better still jst do a few years fatting room sentence. Nigeria my country. Change we need!
the sham called Nigeria judicial system
Some one stole 8 million from her employer and got 266 years sentence, another one from Akwa Ibom stole 56 transformers worth 220 million and got a 3 years sentence and here is some one with a a crime of 25 billion with a 6 years sentence with an option of 6 million naira fine.
I wonder how this will ever serve as a deterrent to any onlooker.
It also goes to show the gulf in class difference between in rich and the poor and the fact that the law treats people on face value and not the old picture of a man carrying a scale blind folded and giving equitable justice.
I hope the VP elect being a Lawyer will look into and correct this age long anomaly.
Shey I said it in d previous post 3m smh he's a free man nw meanwhile d oda guy is goin in without option of fine smh this jst goes to show hw useless this country is...Nigeria I weep 4u
Ofcourse rich man stole 25billion and dey gave him 6yrs..may God helpp all d poor pple in dis country
Ain't nigerian judicial system ashamed of all dese disgrace. Were they not charged for the same offence? #smh
Miscarriage of justice all over this case. The accomplice, Peter gets slammed with 20yrs without option of fine. Meanwhile, the main culprit walks away after coughing up a paltry $3m fine out of $25bn ill-gotten jackpot. Naija judges we hail thee.
This doesnt make sense at all. U gave him an option to pay N3m from d N 25b he stole. The judge should just have set him free. This judgement no make sense at all. Only God can deliver Nigeria from the clutches of corruption. It is now a norm for us. I hear things nowadays n it upsets me so much. Hope Buhari will make a difference. This is getting too much to bear
Then a man steals Maggi and they send him to the gallows, Smh..
Rellaidiovo.blogspot.com
There is no judiciary in Nigeria. People should be allowed to do what they like because when the Rich does anything illegal, they go Scott free. The judges and magistrates are one of the worse criminals we have in our country.i am so mad with this judgement that one would be tempted to say All the Justices and judges should be ELIMINATED. It was the same Justice clique that allowed Fayose to remain in office after mounting evidence of electoral fraud. Buhari has to remove majority of these thieves that call themselves justices and judges.
How can you give som1 6yrs imprisonment or an option of 3m after stealing 25bn....nd. d oda person 2oyrs imprisonment witot a fine. Option
Chai naija naija
Chai naija naija 1st time comment shall
Chai naija naija
The judiciary in Nigeria is messed up!
A mockery of 'Justice', only in Nigeria.
Enjoying a pre-determined criminal law drafted for a few Nigerians
This life na real pot of beans
Amen
Nicely said
It is sad but it is what it is. I weep for my country. I was watching on the news the other day when a judge in atlanta sentenced some teachers to 7yrs in prison with a fine of 25000$ just for changing the scores on an exam sheet of some students. But in naija, justice is never served. becos hes igbinedion he can pay 3million and continue his life and the other man has no background so he can suffer for both of them. Smh
Infact im soooo pained.!!!! So 3mill Fine is justifyable for a 25bn fraud? i still wonder how and when things will change in naija this is just too much.
6 years or 3 million? for someone like him? Judiciary, you lot F up on this one big time
which 18yers? 18 yrs is even better they will sentence the poor to life imprisonment. Smh nigeria my country which way?
Someone stole 25 billion an got away with it cus his rich. I remember the lady who they said stole 8 million naira from her work place was sentenced to life in jail.... nawa for our country oooooo God help us
Mumu. Didn't u read about the option of fine. I guess u didn't understand it. It means pay 3m go on with your life
Hi Ufuoma. How is UBTH these days
Option of fine of N3 million in lieu of 6 years jail time for stealing N25 billion.
Stealing business is good in Naija.
No wonder all officials steal.
Punishment never fits the crime when influential people are involved.
Lemme guess, the delay of judgement after finding Lucky guilty was to see how much bribe he could put out. Imagine...."with an option of N3M". Smh. But the other guy gets 20yrs
It looks like you can't read. They said he can go free if he pays 3 million from the 25 billion
I knew it,When u have money in this life mhen!!! Anything goes breh!!!
Ah! How? Why? When? Ah! Abiyamo oooo!!!
*** mynameisSkelewu
Unnnnnn...yeye dey smell! Smh
Haba Linda dis 1 na lie ohhhhhh. Ave always believed in ur blog and stories but trust me dis 1 is abig lie. I was in the court when the judgment was given and Mike Igbinedion was sentenced to 2yrs imprisonment with an option of fine of 3m while the other was conclusively given 2years for 9 count. Pls try and go back to ur source. Thanks Love.
When I read things like dis, it gets me really upset and fed up of this country. The security system is so bad that anything can happen @ anytime and anywhere. Imagine the fact that other persons where there equally held up in the same traffic. So sad for Nigeria. Smh
These are the cases the new Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation under the Buhari administration must re visit. Why waste tax payers money and bother to sentence him in d 1st place?
Caricature sentencing. We dey watch .
These are the cases the new Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation under the Buhari administration must re visit. Why waste tax payers money and bother to sentence him in d 1st place?
Caricature sentencing. We dey watch .
Powerful men ve a way of avoiding consequences of their actions
Ubanagum
The aide got 20yrs dat did not steal half of the money the brother stole dose dis justice make sense
All dis igbinedions sef ..dey no dey tire ! Gud 4 dem!
*steal
Forget it, dude ain't going nowhere. Someone stole 25biller and now u give him a fine option of 3miller, he will just give u from his wallet now!. SMH
Na so, one steals billions & is made to pay millions or go to jail. While some other person steals millions (8) & gets 266 years imprisonment. It is well with us in Nigeria. Linda take note!
Amen
And a woman was given life imprisonment for stealing 8million? OH NIGERIA!
Our judiciary system is indirectly encouraging our leaders to steal since the know the would pay for less if the are caught..
3m for 25b? My God! Linda watch!
Unfair judgment! The lady that stole 8million was giving not less than 14yrs, while 25billion gets 10yrs. This country will can only get better when their is equal right and justice.
Aboki dis iss the first time am hearing you talk sense on this blog.
This kind of thing can only happen in a failed state.
Only N3 Million for a scam of N25 billion??? True justice would be if Mike Igbinedion is stripped of his assets and ordered to return all that money he has been convicted of stealing
The judge should be jailed forgiving that type of ruling
Justice is served
Justice is served
So moral of the story? The weight of your sentence is inversely proportional to the amount of money you steal/earn fraudulently. Note: if you're going to steal, do it big or get 266 years! #thelawisanasa
Hmmhmmm!!! I give up. Now I'm starting to wonder if their is still hope in this country... **smh**
will preferences be given to a poor man like dis? After some pipo will start singing of opretion no more corruption tins when d lawless lawmakers are not helping matas.NO BODY HOLY PASS FOR DIS COUNTRY *looking at dem with gbejero eyes
😳 what a shame! Lesson is if you commit fraud with a rich man's child and you get caught (&found guilty) nay your sentence go long pass😏
It is Nigerian habit to enter politics to steal ONLY.Nigeria is rated as the most corrupt country in the world.People who should be extremely rich like arabs are living below poverty in a country with high resources.People should elect only wealthy people so that they dont steal
BORDERING madam not bothering. Kindly proof read your editorials
This is a warning for buhari. This can't continue to happen. Nigeria is ranked number one most corrupt country on earth. He has to do something about d judicial system. Most of the Justices must go. Bring in new people that will without fear or favor interpret the law. Buhari, Nigerians are looking up to you to fight for the poor. They were the ones that voted for you. If you don't fight for them, then you will belong to the fraud that call themselves politicians.
Efe, that's not correct. Patrick got two years for each of the ten counts which are to run concurrently (that's 20 yeats abi?). Remember he was convicted of a ten-count money laundering.
Michael got 2 years for each of the three count charges (that's 6 years abi?) but with an option of a fine of N3 million for the three counts.
Efe, that's not correct. Patrick got two years for each of the ten counts which are to run concurrently (that's 20 yeats abi?). Remember he was convicted of a ten-count money laundering.
Michael got 2 years for each of the three count charges (that's 6 years abi?) but with an option of a fine of N3 million for the three counts.
Does this look like Micheal to u!!!! Lol nor go enta trouble cus of wrong photo o lol.
I too know, do u know micheal? Shut up already
Na real shut up o! ITK of course it is Micheal obviously you don't know him yet want to comment. Get your facts right before talking nonsense like u just did. @IVY OLODO MARSHALL
Mike Igbinedion may go to Appeal Court over Money Laundry Judgement – By New Sentinel Reporter, Lagos
In Latest, News / 19 November 2015 / Comments are Disabled
mike igbinedion
The last may not have been heard of the 131-page judgement delivered by Justice A.M. Liman of the Federal High Court in Benin City, Edo State on April 30, 2015 which sentenced Mike Igbinedion, an aide to former Edo state Governor, Lucky Igbinedion to a fine of N1,000,000.00 each on three counts or in default, to serve prison sentence of 2 years on each of the count.
The embattled former aide, according to reports reaching New Sentinel online, could yet be another personality in the court of the offence of unwarranted and unpatriotic media trial of celebrities or the so-called affluent in our society.
A source disclosed yesterday that the outcome of the obviously politically biased case has been generating several furores on both sides of the divide even as it further said that a section of the media has reportedly accused the judge of “giving a slap on the wrist” of Michael Igbinedion.
As the battle ground to secure fairness for Michael Igbinedion may soon shift dramatically to the Court of Appeal, it was gathered that legal experts have strongly advised the business man to challenge what they described as the obviously slurred and malicious judgement, considering the apparent weaknesses in the prosecution case and the circumstance of his office as Personal Assistant to the Governor, a position that made it inevitable for him to handle cash well over N500, 000.00 allowed by the Money Laundry Act.
The experts had also made references to the precedence of cases involving Femi Fani-Kayode, and the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker and his Personal Assistant who were earlier found not guilty of the same offence, adding that there is urgent need for a review of the Nigerian justice system.
Going through the arguments of Michael Igbinedion’s lawyer, the experts argued, it is obviously clear that the Money Laundry Act was enacted specifically to checkmate activities of narcotic trafficking and may not have considered transactions, such as spending of security votes by the president or governors.
Igbinedion’s lawyer had also submitted that the practice of cash payment was well established in the government and that Michael at that particular time acted as an agent of the government.
A Public Affairs analyst, Mr. Orobosa Omo-Ojo, JP in an interview said: “The trial and conviction of Michael Igbinedion amounts to jungle justice, when considered against the backdrop that he was never in any position in government, either as Commissioner, Special Adviser or Special Assistance, where money was budgeted or allocated to his office and thus misused or peculated. His only crime is that he followed the laid down financial rules and regulations proscribed for the office of the Personal Assistant to the Governor, as well as implementing the statutory instructions of his Principal, the Governor.
It is obvious that Mike is a victim of high stakes politics and that he was convicted on flimsy ridiculous counts. The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wanted to use the Igbinedion family as scapegoat in their illogical fight against corruption in Nigeria. They were vindictive and acted out a script. That explains why they went for a strict liability offense because they knew they had a bad and seriously flawed case.”
Mr Omo-Ojo, JP however called on the Nigerian Law Reform Commission to realize that the 1995 and 2004 Money Laundry Act is now out of tune with the reality of 2015 monetary system.
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