Court of Appeal Upholds Conviction of Ex-NDDC Aide George Turnah
The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday, May 14, 2026, affirmed the conviction of George Turnah Alabh, former Special Assistant to the erstwhile Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dan Abia.
Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Peter C. Obiorah dismissed Alabh’s appeal, holding that the charges were properly filed and not an abuse of court process despite a parallel civil suit. The court further ruled that the prosecution successfully proved that Alabh failed to disclose his interest in Ashford Consult and Events Nig. Limited in the asset declaration form he submitted to the EFCC during investigations into allegations of money laundering and obtaining by false pretence.
Alabh was arraigned by the EFCC in 2017 on a four-count charge before Justice A.T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, where he pleaded not guilty. On May 20, 2022, the trial court found him guilty on counts 1 and 3, sentencing him to two years imprisonment on each count for offences under Section 27 of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004. Dissatisfied, he filed an appeal in September 2023, which has now been dismissed.
