The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed the conviction and sentencing of a former member of the Kogi State House of Assembly and ex-Caretaker Chairman, Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of the state, Gabriel Daudu, for N1.4bn fraud.

Daudu was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before the Federal High Court in April 2010.

He was arraigned on 208 counts of money laundering and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N1.4bn.

The prosecution lawyer, Wahab Shittu, fielded 13 witnesses and tendered 47 exhibits to prove the charges against Daudu.

At the end of the trial, the judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, found Daudu guilty on 77 counts and sentenced him to two years imprisonment on each count.

The sentences on each of the counts to run concurrently.

But Daudu, through his lawyer, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), had appealed against the judgment.

But the Court of Appeal, Abuja, in its judgment delivered on March 1, 2017 upheld the decision of the trial court and dismissed the appeal for “lacking in merit.”

The convict then appealed to the Supreme Court.

The apex court, on July 6, 2017 granted Daudu bail in the sum of N2m with two sureties in like sum and who were to own landed property and must be resident in the Federal Capital Territory.

But in its judgment on Friday, a panel of five Justices of the Supreme Court, resolved all the issues against the appellant and accordingly dismissed the appeal.

In the lead judgment prepared by Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs, the court described the appeal as “unmeritorious”.

With the Supreme Court judgment, Daudu, who had been on bail, is expected to return to serve his sentence.