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EFCC PROSECUTES PDP GOVERNORSHIP ASPIRANT, FORMER GOVERNOR AND PARTY CHAIRMAN IN NIGER STATE FOR ALLEGED DIVERSION OF FUNDS
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has once again commenced the prosecution of Niger State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Umar Nasko, former governor of Niger State, Dr. Muazu Aliyu, and state chairman of the party, Tanko Beji, before a court for alleged fraud.
The trio were arraigned before the State High Court yesterday Thursday February 15th 2109, with the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Aliyu, charged for alleged diversion of ecological funds of over N2 billion during his tenure between 2007 and 2015.
The PDP governorship candidate in next month election, who was also Commissioner for Environment to Babangida Aliyu, Umar Nasko, and the current state PDP Chairman, Tanko Beji, were also arraigned along with him on the same charge of alleged fraud.
The same charges they had been standing before another state High Court presided over by Justice Mohammed Mayaki on April 25, 2017, but had suffered several adjournments.
Counsel to Nasko, Maman Osuman, had earlier raised preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court then presided over by Justice Mayaki to entertain the case.
He had argued that there was a similar case before Federal High Court and Justice Mayaki ruled in favour of the defense counsel and stayed proceedings. The EFCC, however, appealed against the ruling.
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BlackBox Nigeria gathered that the case has now been re-opened at High Court 8, Minna, presided over by Justice Mikailu Abdullahi, with same charges as amended by EFCC. But the trio pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, counsel to Aliyu, Ayodele Olajide(SAN), applied for bail on the ground that it was a trial de-novo (anew) and that the earlier bail should stay since they had not contravened the bail conditions.
Similarly, counsel to Umar Nasko, Usman Mamman, aligned with the presentation of Olajide, pointing out that the bail should subsist based on the argument advanced by Ayodele.
The presiding judge, Justice Abdullahi, granted the oral application for the bail of the accused persons as granted by earlier court with all the conditions, but insisted that all their travelling documents be deposited with the court and adjourned the case till Thursday 21 and Friday 22 of this month for mentioning.
