The Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has sentenced a former bursar of the Federal Polytechnic in the state capital, Mr Elijah Oladapo, to seven years imprisonment over fraudulent practices.

According to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the man was first convicted in 2021 alongside the former Rector of the same institution, Mrs Theresa Taiwo Akande, for allegedly receiving over N500,000 as kickbacks from a contractor handling construction projects at the school.

The commission, which disclosed this on its official X handle on Tuesday, said it filed a nine-count charge against the duo before the court because “their actions contravened Sections 8(1) (a), 19 and 20 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

“The accused persons had pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them, which set the tone for the long trial.”

The ICPC said: “During the trial, the court heard how the convict had, in 2015, abused his office by demanding and receiving kickbacks from a contractor handling the construction and furnishing of lecture theatres and offices in the school.

“In his ruling, the trial judge, Honourable Justice Ogunmoye, discharged and acquitted the 1st defendant, Mrs. Akande, of counts 1–3. He, however, found the second defendant, Mr. Oladapo, guilty of the charges levelled against him in counts 4–9.

“He, therefore, sentenced Mr Oladapo to five years imprisonment for counts 4–7 with an option of a fine of N1.2 million, while he also sentenced him to two years imprisonment on counts 8–9 without an option of a fine.

“The convict, Oladapo, has since been sent to the correctional centre to serve his time,” the commission added.