Aide Of Ex-NDDC Boss Bags 4 Years Imprisonment 

George Turnah Alabh, the former Special Assistant to Dan Abia, erstwhile Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has been sentenced to 4 years Imprisonment. 

He was convicted and sentenced on Friday by Justice A.T Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

According to a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he was prosecuted by the Port Harcourt’s Zonal Command of the EFCC, between 2017 and 2022, on four-charge bordering on false declaration of assets.

He was arraigned along with his wife Jennifer Tinipre Turnah,  on four- count amended charges.

The charges read,
“That you George Turnah Alabh on or about 15th March, 2017 at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, South/South Zonal Office, No, 6A Olumeni Street, Old GRA Off Forces Avenue, Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court knowingly failed to make full disclosure of your assets to wit: your interest in one of the Director and majority shareholder of Ashford Consult and Events Nig. Ltd in the Asset Declaration Form you filled at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) & (3)(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004 and punishable   under Section 27 (3)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004.

“That you George Turnah Alabh on or about 15th March, 2017 at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, South/South Zonal Office, No, 6A Olumeni Street, Old GRA Off Forces Avenue, Port Harcourt within the Jurisdiction off this Honorable Court failed to furnish information of your interest as one of the Directors and major shareholder of Ashford Consult and Events Nig. Ltd in the Asset Declaration Form you filled at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 (1) & (3)(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004 and punishable   under Section 27 (3)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004.”

Alabh was found guilty on counts 1 & 3 bordering on non-disclosure of assets.

But his wife Jennifer was discharged on counts 2 and 4 on the grounds that the amended charge was not served on her properly in line with the law.

Meanwhile, Alabh was sentenced to two years each on counts 1 & 3 for failure to make full disclosure of assets contrary to section 27 (1) & (3)(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004 and punishable under Section 273)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act 2004.

The couple was first arraigned on May 16, 2018 and re-arraigned on June 18,  2019 by the EFCC on four count charges bordering on failure to make full disclosure of assets.

They both pleaded “not guilty”.

The prosecution counsel, I. Agwu, called several witnesses and presented several documents in court during the trial. 

In his judgment, Justice Mohammed said that the prosecution established that the convict did not fully disclose his assets in the Asset Declaration form he filled at the EFCC. 

Against his declaration,  the court found out that he was one of the Directors and majority shareholder of Ashford Consult and Events Nig. Ltd.