THE Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of former governor of Taraba state, Jolly Nyame, who was charged with abuse of office by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The former governor had sought an appeal from the apex court following concurrent convictions by a trial and the appeal courts. However, rather than acquitting him, the appellate court, in a five-man panel upheld the 12-year jail sentence against the former governor.

Nyame, who was accused of diverting N1.64 billion during his tenure between 1999 and 2007 and stood trial for 11 years, had first appeared before Justice Adebukola Banjoko, judge of a federal capital territory high court in Gudu.

Justice Banjoko then sentenced the former governor to 14 years in jail which he later appealed. The sentence was reduced to 12 years, but Nyame would later seek redress at the Supreme Court.

He prayed the apex court to reduce his 12-year sentence even as he contended the N100 million fine slammed against him at the appeal court as well as the jurisdiction of the court.

The Supreme Court, in a verdict delivered by Judge Amina Augie, dismissed Nyame’s prayer on appeal court’s jurisdiction and affirmed the 12-year jail sentence.

The Cable reports, however, that Augie declared that the trial court ought not to have imposed a fine on the former governor who was declared guilty of embezzlement and money laundering, as it was never raised by the prosecution or defendant for determination.