Gombe Judge Standing Trial for Suspected Bribery

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has charged Mohammed Kumo, a magistrate of the Chief Magistrate Court in Gombe State, with bribery and extortion.

Kumo was hauled before Judge H.H. Kereng of the Gombe High Court on Wednesday on a three-count charge presented by the EFCC’s Gombe Zonal Directorate, the anti-graft agency revealed in a statement on Thursday.

“That you, Mohammed Suleiman Kumo, being a magistrate at the Chief Magistrate Court, did receive for yourself monetary benefits of One Million Naira through Zenith Bank Account Number 2273938871 belonging to one Adamu Ahmed, a Registrar in your court, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000” is one of the counts.

“That you, Mohammed Suleiman Kumo, being a magistrate at the Chief Magistrate Court, Pantami, on or about the 11th day of November 2024 in Gombe State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did receive for yourself a monetary benefit of Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000) through Zenith Bank Account Number 2273938871 belonging to one Adamu Ahmed, a registrar in your court, in violation of Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.”
The defendant entered a not guilty plea to all allegations, according to an EFCC statement posted on its official X Twitter.

According to the EFCC, this led to the prosecution’s attorney, Abubakar Aliyu, requesting a trial date and remanding Kumo to the Gombe State Correctional Center.
According to the statement, Adamu Bawa, the defense attorney, filed a bail motion, which the prosecution vehemently rejected on legal grounds.

“Having recognised that the defendant was granted administrative bail by the EFCC and came to court from home, and based on that, I grant the defendant bail in the interim pending the ruling on his bail application,” the statement revealed after hearing arguments from both sides.

In order to rule on the bail request and continue the hearing, the judge postponed the case until January 13 and 14, 2026.

This is hardly the first instance of a judge being detained and charged with fraud.

Umar Gwani, an Area Court judge, was charged with fraud by the EFCC in 2016 before a Federal High Court in Gombe State. Gwani was accused of collecting money from the people through deception and conspiracy.