The Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, has sentenced Prof. Benjamin Ogunbodede, a former Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Benjamin Ogunbodede, to 40 years imprisonment for corruptly enriching himself to the tune of N177 million.
Zacheus Tejumola, a former Chief Accountant of the institute, was also sentenced to 40 years imprisonment while Clement Adenose, another staff, bagged four years in jail.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, the trio were convicted based on the overwhelming evidence against them.
“There is no ambiguity in the facts tendered by the prosecution that the three convicts conspired, converted and stole the hazard allowance of N177 million belonging to the staff of IAR&T,” Ayo-Emmanuel said
Earlier, Tunde Olupona, the counsel to Ogunbodede, had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his client.
He argued that his client lacked administrative experience in running such a sensitive position.
However, Nkwuruka Amana, the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, urged the court to sentence the convicts in accordance with the stipulation of the law.
