A High Court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State has sentenced the former Executive Secretary, Christian Pilgrim Welfare Board (CPWB), Bishop Jinga Mayo, to 5 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
The court presided over by Justice Nathan Musa further sentenced Mayo to six months imprisonment with N50,000 option of fine and said that the jail terms are to run concurrently.
Mayo was convicted for diverting the sum of N69,189 million out of the N346,8 million released to the board by the then Governor Muhammad Jibrilla in respect of 2016 Christian pilgrimage.
The court convicted Bishop Jinga Mayo for converting government’s money for his personal use while discharging and acquitting him on count 1 for the failure of the prosecution to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The convict was earlier charged to court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for making a false return in respect to finances, conferring of corrupt advantage upon himself and making a false statement to the officer of the ICPC.
Bishop Mayo, who was the Executive Secretary of the board, diverted the money which was meant to settle the entitlement of the committee members for the exercise to his private pocket.
Mayo earlier told the court that he had used the money in sponsoring Agricultural Training Programme organised for Christian Pilgrims in Israel but could not tender any evidence to that effect.
