The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced a former Executive Director of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba, to seven years in prison for laundering the sum of N1.5 billion.

Justice Ibrahim Buba who delivered the sentence on Wednesday, said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission proved the charges against Agaba beyond reasonable doubt.

The EFCC had in 2015 alleged that the convict while serving as the Executive Director in charge of Maritime, Safety and Shipping, fraudulently conspired with the then Director General, Mr Patrick Akpobolokemi, to obtain monies by false pretence from the Federal Government which were fraudulently converted.

However, the Court of Appeal has since discharged Akpobolokemi while the EFCC withdrew charges against two other defendants.