EFCC Takes Magistrate to Court for Alleged Corruption

A serving magistrate named Mohammed Suleiman Kumo was charged with three counts of bribery and extortion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in front of Gombe State High Court Judge H.H. Kereng.

On December 3, 2025, the EFCC’s Gombe Zonal Directorate filed charges against Kumo, a magistrate at the Chief Magistrate Court in Pantami.

According to the charges, Magistrate Kumo received ₦1.4 million in financial advantages through the bank account of Adamu Ahmed, the court registrar.

Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 is violated by the accused offences.

In particular, there are two alleged instances of accepting money:

The Registrar’s Zenith Bank Account (number 2273938871) received ₦1,000,000.

₦400,000 was received via the same Registrar’s Zenith Bank Account on or around November 11, 2024.

The anti-graft Act’s referenced clause makes it illegal for anybody to request, accept, or obtain property or benefits for themselves or any other person as a result of whatever they have done or will do in the course of performing their official duties.

Violating this clause carries a seven-year jail sentence.

According to reports, Magistrate Kumo entered a not guilty plea to each of the three allegations.

Abubakar Aliyu, the prosecuting attorney, sought the court to send the defendant to the Gombe State Correctional Center and to set a trial date.

However, the prosecution opposed a bail motion made by defense attorney Adamu Bawa.

The defendant was granted temporary bail by Justice Kereng.

The judge used Kumo’s prior administrative bail grant from the EFCC and his voluntary appearance in court from home as justification for the ruling.

In order to make a decision regarding the official bail application and to begin the hearing, the court has postponed the case to January 13 and 14, 2026.