Four Prominent Nigerians Locked Up In Kuje Prisons

It is no longer news that a group of terrorists stormed the Kuje Medium Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and bombed sections of the facility on Tuesday night.

Naija News earlier reported that the heavily armed gunmen invaded the federal facility around 10.30pm and successfully operated for about one hour unhindered.

It was learned they reportedly freed Boko Haram inmates and other detainees at the correctional centre. It was gathered that other inmates also used the opportunity of the attack to escape from the Kuje Prison.

A prison staff, who confirmed the attack in a chat with Daily Sun, revealed that after the attack, not more than 30 out of the over 1, 000 inmates were found at the correctional centre.

The staff said some of the attackers came from the back of the prison yard, while others arrived with trucks used to evacuate the targeted inmates.

Following the terror attack, below are the names of prominent Nigerians known to have been remanded in the Kuje correctional facility.

Jolly Nyame

The former Taraba State Governor was sentenced to a 12-year jail term at the Kuje prison for misappropriation of funds while he was in office.

Nyame, who governed Taraba state from 1999 to 2007, was charged by EFCC with 41 counts of criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation, taking gratification and obtaining valuable things without consideration.

The prosecution’s case against Nyame revolved around the diversion of N1.64bn of Taraba State’s funds while he was governor. He was accused of breaching Section 315 of the Criminal Code Act, the act of criminal misappropriation.

Justice Adebukola Banjoko, in a judgement which lasted for hours in 2018, found Nyame guilty of 27 of the 41 counts preferred against him.

The judge sentenced the former governor to two years for misappropriation of government funds, seven years for receiving gratification, and five years for obtaining valuable government properties without consideration.

In February 2020, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction and 12-year jail term given to Nyame for misappropriation of funds during his time in power.

The former Governor was however granted a presidential pardon from the National Council of State.

Joshua Dariye

The former Plateau State Governor, who piloted the affairs of the state between 1999 to 2007, was sentenced to 14 years in prison without the option of a fine.

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Gudu, Abuja, on 12 June 2018 sentenced Joshua on charges of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of over N1.16bn belonging to the state.

The court had found the former Plateau governor guilty of 15 counts of charges of corruption.

He was found guilty on a 6-count charge on the allegation of unlawful transferring of funds to the sum of N1.126 billion ecological needs of the state to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the southwest.

In November 2018, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal reduced Dariye’s 14 years jail term to 10 years.

In March 2021, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction and 10-year jail term given to Dariye for misappropriation of funds during his time in power.

The former Governor was also granted a presidential pardon from the National Council of State headed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Farouk Lawan

The former member of the House of Representatives was sentenced to seven years in prison d on 23 June 2021, after being found guilty of bribery charges levelled against him by the Federal government.

Lawan, while he was the chairman of the Ad-hoc committee probing a multi-billion Naira subsidy fraud, had demanded $3 million in bribes from Femi Otedola, to remove his company, Zenon Oil and Gas company from the list of oil companies accused of participating in the fraud.

The politician was arraigned in court by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in 2012 for allegedly receiving $500,000 from Otedola.

Lawan entered hot water after Otedola reported him to the DSS and the agency gave the businessman $500,000 in marked notes and also planted a camera in Otedola’s home to record the ex-reps member collecting the bribe.

Delivering judgement, the presiding Judge, Justice Angela Otaluka, sentenced Lawan to seven years in prison on two counts and jailed him for five years on one count.

She said the sentences were to run concurrently and ordered the former lawmaker to return $500,000 to the Federal Government.

Abba Kyari

The suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police and former leader of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Police Inspector General was remanded in Kuje prison earlier this year.

Kyari is standing trial for allegedly dealing in cocaine alongside four members of his former police unit and two other persons arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.