A court in Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott on Monday sentenced former president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, to five years in prison for having abused his position to amass an ill-gotten fortune.

Aziz, who ruled the pivotal country between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa between 2008 and 2019, fell into disgrace under successor and current President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a former political ally.

The former president had been on trial since January alongside 10 other prominent figures — including two former prime ministers — for illicit enrichment, abuse of functions, influence-peddling and laundering.

He was convicted of illicit enrichment and laundering but cleared of the other charges.

The court also ordered the confiscation of Aziz’s illicitly acquired assets.

The 66-year-old former head of state did not react to the judgement.

Aziz has been in detention since January 24, having also spent several months in prison in 2021.

He received the longest sentence of all the defendants in the trial, with two former prime ministers and two former ministers cleared of the charges.

“The trial we attended was a political trial, and its verdict is also very political,” one of Aziz’s lawyers, Mohameden Ould Icheddou, said.

Another of his lawyers announced their intention to appeal against the verdict.

But a state lawyer, Brahim Ould Ebetti, told AFP that the verdict was “very lenient”.

Prosecutions of former heads of state are rare in the world, but especially so in Africa. Most former leaders brought to national or international courts are tried for blood crimes rather than corruption.

Mauritania ranked 130th out of 180 in the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index by the organisation Transparency International.

AFP

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has condemned the unauthorised use of its operational identities, warning skit makers and other social workers to desist from the act.

The commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement, a video titled “EFCC and Army Wahala” gaining traction on social media compelled the EFCC to reiterate its warning to skit makers and others to desist from using the operational identities of the commission illegally and irresponsibly.

The statement read, “‘EFCC and Army Wahala’ is a caricature of the operational etiquette of the EFCC. The shameful characterisation of supposed operatives of the commission in the video unleashing terror on ‘suspects’, is not only embarrassing but indicative of deliberate attempt to cast shadows on the image of the EFCC.

“Operatives of the EFCC are not bullies. They are trained as refined modern law enforcement officers rich in decency, civility and respect for members of the public, including suspects of economic and financial crimes.”

Oyewale noted that the commission will not hesitate to bring to book anyone caught displaying its operational identities for any engagement.

Credit: X| officialEFCC

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 45-year-old drug dealer, Godwin Emuneyin, who is physically challenged and uses a wheelchair as cover to deal in illicit substances such as methamphetamine and skunk in Afuze, headquarters of Owan East local government area of Edo state.

This was made known in a statement signed by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, shared on the agency’s Facebook page on Sunday.

The statement in part said, “”The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, November 7, at his base in Afuze following credible intelligence.

“As at the time of his arrest, a wooden box used to conceal illicit substances, including 18 pinches of methamphetamine, one block, and 71 wraps of skunk, was recovered from him.

“In other interdiction operations in Edo state, NDLEA operatives, on Monday, November 6, recovered 42 bags of skunk weighing 480kgs from a camp in Aviosi forest in Owan West LGA, while the Utese forest in Ovia North East LGA was also raided same day with 231.5kgs of the substance recovered and a cannabis farm measuring 0.778960 hectare destroyed.

“In Adamawa state, operatives on patrol along Ngurore-Yola road on Thursday, November 9, intercepted a Toyota Corolla car marked TZG 97 KY loaded with 30, 899 Tramadol 225mg and 100mg pills concealed inside the body compartments of the vehicle. The driver found in possession of the drug exhibits, Sani Samaila (a.k.a Isa Male),25, said he was bringing the consignment from Jalingo, Taraba State, to deliver in Yola, Adamawa State.

“The previous day, Wednesday November 8, a suspect, Abdullahi Sani (a.k.a Danfulani), was arrested at Ngurore town in possession of some quantity of dried weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa in a white nylon. He thereafter led operatives on a follow-up operation to the home of a drug lord, Alhaji Bubakari (a.k.a Dan Mamuda), an unrepentant ex-convict, where 19 blocks of compressed cannabis that weighed 13kgs were recovered.”

Credit: Facebook | NDLEA

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