Tafa Balogun Gets Six Months Jail Term (Arrant Nonsense)

ABUJA, Nov. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Nigeria's former police chief, Tafa Balogun, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to graft and was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

Balogun, who was forced to resign in January and arrested in March, becomes the first senior official to be convicted in Nigeria's anti-graft drive.

Judge Binta Nyako in her judgment said she considered the fact that Balogun was a "first offender" and had "shown remorse" throughout the trial.

"I hereby sentence the accused to a term of six months' imprisonment and a fine of 500,000 naira (3,846 US dollars) on each of the eight charges against him," said Nyako.

The six months will run concurrently and the 67 days he had already spent in detention during the trial will be deducted, she said.

In addition, he will forfeit all his assets, shares and landed property acquired with the fund stolen from the police treasury. The assets totaled 150 million US dollars, included money stashed in banks, shares in blue chip companies and 14 luxury buildings.

Responding to the judgment before he was taken to the prison, Balogun said "life is full of challenges, it has its ups and down.I was up yesterday, I am down today but I will bounce back."

In the charge, preferred by the anti-graft Economic and Financial Crimes Commission under the Money Laundering ProhibitionAct, Balogun was said to have incorporated some companies to loot the police treasury through bribes and kickbacks on contracts.

Billions of naira were fraudulently withdrawn by him from the police account and transferred to the companies to buy shares and landed properties and foreign currency. Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/23/content_3820200.htm

What arrant nonsense. It means anybody could just steal our money any time any day, after all it will all end up in Six months imprisonment. Nairalanders, what do you think of this Nigeria Jagajaga dramas as they are unfolding?

This is arrant nonsence and an insult to the intelligence of all Nigerians both home and abroad. Those who steal our money,may escape from legal judgement, BUT will get their just punishment even in this life!! God dey na poor man prayer.

yeh,dats aight abuguy64
exactly

May God have mercy on all our souls AMEN!!

i'd always known it would get to this , those nigerian croojs have a way of pushing the dirts under the bed.. smae thingy happend to bola ige's murder, mobitel boss and many mor elike that, make them continue, nofiun dey happen.... BUt God dey sha

this is absolute nonsense, i think he should be jailed for nothing less than 10years as a lesson for others, but i still don't understand what happened to the 16 million, this shows how corrupt our country is, may god have mercy on our soul

I hope all this will be collected from him, as they have made us belief
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2005/nov/23/national%20-23-11-2005-001main.htm

I hope all this will be collected from him, as they have made us belief
http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2005/nov/23/national%20-23-11-2005-001main.htm

My brother, this country of ours is full of abracadabra;the more you look, the less you see. Six months only for somebody who confessed that he stole millons of dollars belonging to tax payers? It's quite unfortunate! But thank he is now a convicted man, and will never hold any public office again.

I swear i just want to puke

Well, As long as we could get ALL the money he stole, it is fine by me.
Similarly if we could get some money from those beneficiary of his like the Obas etc GOOD.
Who are we going to blame now? JUDICIARY or WHO?

Gentlemen let us not overlook the substance here which is that justice was done. Its still a start.

This is good for naija, but I still think the only reason this big man goes to jail is because someone dont like him. I am sure he is not the only thief that can be proven

Odeku of course he is not the only thief but that is secondary. The issue here is he was a thiefing police boss and got his punishment deservely lesser but punishment nonetheless. Because we can't bring ALL Nigerian thieves to justice shouldn't constitute bringing NOBODY to justice. Lets see the positive side of this.

I remember those days when he used to ask people to report criminals to the police and provide so many telephone numbers so that the criminals will be shown on "CRIME FIGHTERS". I wonder why they didn't show him on crime fighters anyway. Me thinks he deserves more than the 6 months. It should have been 6 years!!!

Just six months? They should have sentenced him to life in prison!
Well, lots of other worse criminals are living large & enjoying themselves in Nigeria.

Pickpockets are killed by screaming mobs every day in Nigerian towns, while those accused of petty nickel and dime theft die like flies while awaiting trial in Nigerian prisons. 

The token 6-month slap-on-the-wrist sentence given to the former highest ranking policeman in the same country, as "punishment" for embezzlement of epic proportions, suggests that theft is only an offense in Nigeria if carried out on too small a scale for the perpetrator to share the proceeds.

my guys, at least the guy wasn't able to get a 'tummy-tuck'. we see his tummy bulging on TV , evidence of where the crook is stockpiling the ill-gotten wealth! the funny thing is that all these thieves are hare-brained. imagine stealing money and going on a spending binge right under the nose of guys who can get you. i guess an 'area-boy'- street urchins would do better!

OK GUYS ITS NOT six months. Its six months for every cpount which means he get 6 years

ais this the beginning of a revolution in Nigeria. It is shemefum that he got only a six months sentence, but think about it this way, this might be the beginning of a new era in Nigeria. It is better late than never.

Odeku:

OK GUYS ITS NOT six months. Its six months for every cpount which means he get 6 years

The sentence for all the charges run concurrently. Amounting to only SIX months.

Honestly, I cannot believe this, myself. He is expected to pay fine of N4,000,000, which is about .02% of the alledged $150 Million. I hope those in charge of recovering the monies and properties actually do that. Cos' if not, it is the greatest insult Nigerians have had to put up with from the authorities, in recent times.

From the first post:
"In addition, he will forfeit all his assets, shares and landed property acquired with the fund stolen from the police treasury. The assets totaled 150 million US dollars, included money stashed in banks, shares in blue chip companies and 14 luxury buildings."

The man, who insists on seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides.
- Henri-Fredric Amiel
Its a start. hope we can build on it remember "a thief is a gentleman until hes caught"

he will forfeit all his assets, shares and landed property acquired with the fund stolen from the police treasury. In addition to this, Tafa should be jailed for at least 5years to prevent many like him that have itching fingers

Odeku and Pie1ect.
Can you please read Seun's post #22.
Recall that he already gave EFCC #350m, Ribadu's boys has already siezed some car gifts he gave some OBAS. The courty fined him #4m, with addittion to Seun's #22.
Just yesterday, NBA is planning to ban him from practising as a lawyer coupled with 6 months imprisonment .
ODEKU, CAN WE CATCH ALL THE THIEFS AT ONCE ? At least we will start from somewhere.

Hey Kola, how you dey?

demmy:

Odeku of course he is not the only thief but that is secondary. The issue here is he was a thiefing police boss and got his punishment deservely lesser but punishment nonetheless. Because we can't bring ALL Nigerian thieves to justice shouldn't constitute bringing NOBODY to justice. Lets see the positive side of this.

Balogun now that you have been sentenced write your memoirs on ''How PDP did not Win 2003 general  Election'' [but for you and your  vigilant boys, including those who are now calling you ''Oleh''].
Oya go ahead and sing like Canary bird, and shame those who have thrown the first stones or have they negotiated with you to ''Zip it'' for the light sentence you got?
It will make a good sell to recoup all that ''your enemies and Cankerworms/caterpillars '' took from you

ThaT's probabl the second biggest joke to the Alamseigha 'drop down'. i think we all know what's happening. if you don't please get a crystal ball.

Akolawole, wetin, you seems to be a fan of Tafa Balogun. Oh boy abi the man settle you?

At least they recovered some money and property. This man is doomed for life. he will never fit into the ruling comrades in Nigeria ever

@ Odeku,

Let's face the reality, do you think he is doomed for life? What of the other sources of money not recovered from him? Are we sure the EFCC guys have recovered all and located the remaining assets.

This is Naija and believe me, anything can happen