A magistrate serving at the Chief Magistrate Court in Gombe State, Mohammed Kumo, has been brought before the Gombe High Court over allegations of bribery and extortion.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission announced the arraignment in a statement on Thursday. According to the agency, Kumo appeared before Justice H. H. Kereng on Wednesday to face a three-count charge filed by the EFCC’s Gombe Zonal Directorate.
One of the charges reads, “That you, Mohammed Suleiman Kumo, being a Magistrate at the Chief Magistrate Court, did receive for yourself monetary benefits of One Million Naira through Zenith Bank Account Number 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.”
Another count states, “That you, Mohammed Suleiman Kumo, being a Magistrate at the Chief Magistrate Court, Pantami, on or about the 11th day of November 2024 in Gombe State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did receive for yourself a monetary benefit of Four Hundred Thousand Naira through Zenith Bank Account Number 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.”
The EFCC said Kumo pleaded not guilty to all charges. Following his plea, prosecution counsel Abubakar Aliyu asked the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the magistrate in the Gombe State Correctional Centre.
The defence counsel, Adamu Bawa, applied for bail, which the prosecution opposed. After listening to both sides, Justice Kereng ruled, “Having recognised that the defendant was granted administrative bail by the EFCC and came to court from home, and based on that, I grant the defendant bail in the interim pending the ruling on his bail application.”
The matter was adjourned to January 13 and 14, 2026, for the bail ruling and continuation of the hearing.
The EFCC noted that this is not the first time a judicial officer in Gombe has faced prosecution for alleged fraud. In 2016, an Area Court judge, Umar Gwani, was also arraigned for allegedly collecting money from the public under false pretence.
