A Chief Magistrate, Muhammad Suleiman Kumo, has been convicted and sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment for allegedly receiving a ₦1m bribe through the court registrar in Gombe State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the ruling was delivered by Justice Kereng of the Gombe State High Court.
The convict, who presided over the Chief Magistrate Court at Pantami, Gombe, was found guilty of corrupt practices after he accepted the bribe in November 2024 through the Zenith Bank account of one Adamu Ahmed, a registrar attached to his court.
Kumo was arrested and prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a formal complaint lodged by the Gombe State Ministry of Justice. The complaint was filed on behalf of two petitioners, Abubakar Isa Jauro Kuna and Suleiman Haruna, who alleged that the magistrate demanded and received the bribe to influence a pending case.
According to EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, Kumo was initially arraigned on December 3, 2025, before the Gombe Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency on a three-count charge of bribery under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
In a bid to evade trial, Kumo, through his counsel, Adamu Bawa, filed a preliminary objection on December 30, 2025, challenging the jurisdiction of the court. He argued that as a judicial officer, he ought to be referred to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for disciplinary action rather than prosecuted in a criminal court.
However, EFCC counsel A. Aliyu countered the motion, arguing that a magistrate is not classified as a “judicial officer” under Section 318(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) for the purpose of disciplinary immunity. The court agreed with the prosecution and, in a ruling delivered on February 17, 2026, upheld EFCC’s jurisdiction, paving the way for the trial to proceed.
The charge read in part: “That you, Muhammad Suleiman Kumo, being a magistrate at the Chief Magistrate Court Pantami, on or about the 6th day of November 2024 in Gombe, Gombe State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did receive for yourself the sum of One Million Naira (₦1,000,000) through Zenith Bank Account No. 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.”
Kumo initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. However, at the resumed hearing on May 5, 2026, his counsel informed the court that the defendant wished to change his plea from “not guilty” to “guilty.” When the charges were read again, Kumo admitted his guilt without reservation.
Following the guilty plea, the prosecution counsel told the court that significant time and public resources had been expended in the investigation and prosecution of the case. He urged the court to convict Kumo and, in addition to the sentence, order him to pay ₦500,000 as compensation to the Commission for the cost of prosecution.
Delivering judgment, Justice Kereng emphasized the gravity of the offence and its impact on public trust in the judiciary. “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,” the judge ruled. “The sum of ₦500,000 is not excessive as compensation for investigation and prosecution.”
Kumo was sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment, with an option of a ₦250,000 fine. He was also ordered to pay ₦500,000 as compensation to the EFCC.
