The High Court sitting in Gombe, the capital of Gombe State, has convicted and sentenced a magistrate, Mohammad Kumo, to two years and six months imprisonment for bribery.
Kumo was initially arraigned on December 3, 2025, on three-count charges of bribery by the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
However, on December 30, 2025, the magistrate, through his counsel, Adamu Bawa, filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try him as he was “a judicial officer who ought be taken to the Judicial Service Commission ( JSC) for any wrong doing if such exists”, a motion which was countered by the EFCC counsel, A. Aliyu, arguing that the Kumo was a magistrate and not a judicial officer quoting Section 318(1) of the 1999 constitution as amended.
The presiding judge, Justice H.H. Kereng, upheld the submission of the prosecution counsel in his ruling on February 17, 2026, on the matter of jurisdiction.
Count one of the count charges read: “That you Muhammad Suleiman Kumo being a magistrate at Chief magistrate Court Pantami in such capacity on or about the 6th day of November 2024 in Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did receive for yourself, monetary benefit of N1,000,000 through Zenith bank account number 2273938871 belonging to one Adamu Ahmed, a registrar in your court, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.”
Kumo pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.
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At the resumed sitting on May 5, 2026, the defence counsel informed the court that the magistrate would like to change his plea from “not guilty to guilty”.
When the charges were re-read to the defendant, he pleaded guilty.
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Following the guilty plea, the prosecution counsel stated that the prosecution had spent time and resources in the prosecution of the case before the change of plea.
He urged the court to convict the defendant and order him in addition to the sentence to pay the sum of N500,000 as compensation to the EFCC.
Delivering judgment, Justice Kereng noted the severity of the offence, saying: “I hereby convict you for the offence of corruption under Section 10 (a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 of the ICPC Act. Also, N500,000 is not excessive as compensation for investigation and prosecution.”
He also sentenced Kumo to two years and six months imprisonment with an option of N250,000 as fine and ordered the magistrate to pay N500,000 as compensation to the EFCC.
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