The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction of Sarah Ochekpe, a Minister of Water Resources in the President Goodluck Jonathan administration, and two others.

The EFCC announced the conviction of Ochekpe, alongside Evan Leo Sunday Jitong, deputy director for Goodluck/Sambo 2015 election campaign, and Raymond Dabo, former acting chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Plateau State, over a ₦450 million bribe involving Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Federal Minister of Petroleum Resources, on their official social media pages:

“Ex- Minister, Sarah Ochekpe, Two Others to Spend 6 Years in Prison. The EFCC, Gombe Zonal Command, on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, secured the conviction of a former Minister of Water Resources in the administration former President Goodluck Jonathan, Sarah Ochekpe and two others, Evan Leo Sunday Jitong and Raymond Dabo, deputy director for Goodluck/Sambo 2015 election campaign and former Acting Chairman of PDP, Plateau State respectively,” EFCC wrote.

Each of the convicted trio will serve a six-year jail sentence for the part they played in the criminal withdrawal of ₦450 million. However, the sentences came with fine options.

“The defendants were convicted on count one, bordering conspiracy to accept cash payment above the threshold under the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2012 (as amended) and sentenced to three years inprisonment with an option of N2,000,000 (two million naira) each,” EFCC said on Facebook.

“On count two, the defendants were convicted and sentenced to three years with an option of N2,000,000 (two million naira) fine each.”