The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a Gombe State magistrate, Mohammed Suleiman Kumo, on allegations of bribery and extortion amounting to ₦1.4 million.
Kumo appeared before the Gombe State High Court on Wednesday, where he faced a three-count charge before Justice H.H. Kereng. The EFCC accused him of receiving illegal monetary benefits through the bank account of a court registrar, Adamu Ahmed.
According to the charge sheet, the magistrate allegedly received ₦1 million through Zenith Bank account number 2273938871, belonging to Ahmed. Prosecutors say this payment violates Section 10(a)(i)(ii) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
Another charge alleges that on 11 November 2024, Kumo collected an additional ₦400,000 through the same account, bringing the total amount in question to ₦1.4 million. The EFCC maintains that the payments were improper benefits linked to his official position as a magistrate at the Chief Magistrate Court, Pantami.
When the charges were read, Kumo pleaded not guilty.
The EFCC’s counsel, Abubakar Aliyu, requested that the court set a date for trial and order Kumo’s remand at the Gombe State Correctional Centre.
However, Kumo’s lawyer, Adamu Bawa, applied for bail, a request the prosecution opposed.
In an interim ruling, Justice Kereng granted the defendant temporary bail, noting that he had previously been released on administrative bail by the EFCC and had voluntarily appeared in court.
“Having recognised that the defendant was granted administrative bail by the EFCC and came to court from home, I grant the defendant bail in the interim pending the ruling on his bail application,” the judge said.
The court adjourned the matter to 13 and 14 January 2026 for the ruling on the formal bail application and continuation of the trial.
Public records show that Mohammed Suleiman Kumo is a serving magistrate at the Chief Magistrate Court in Gombe State, specifically at the Pantami division.
With the trial scheduled for January 2026, including a hearing on the bail application, attention will now turn to whether the prosecution can prove the exchange of illicit benefits, and whether Kumo’s defence will challenge the evidence effectively.
If convicted, Kumo could face criminal penalties under the Corrupt Practices Act, and the case may trigger broader demands for reforms within the judicial service in Gombe State and across Nigeria.