N20.8b pension scam: Court adjourns hearing to July 11

Justice Hussieni Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Court on Monday adjourned hearing in the alleged N20.8 billion pension scam filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against Esai Dangabar and six others to July 11.
Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar, Ahmed Wada, Sani Zira, Uzoma Attang, the Chief Accountant in the pension office, Christian Madubuke and Veronica Onyegbula were arraigned on an 20-count charge, bordering on stealing and criminal breach of trust.
They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court admitted them to bail in the sum of N10 million each with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must not be less than an officer on Grade Level 14.
Justice Baba-Yusuf, fixed the date, after Attang’s (fifth accused) counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, pleaded with the court for a short adjournment.
The judge ordered an accelerated hearing which will commence on July 11.
Agabi told the court that he was not ready for the commencement of trial because he was “not familiar with the case yet.”
He prayed the court for the adjournment to enable him study the case and prepare for trial.
The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacob, SAN, had earlier told the court that the EFCC was ready for the commencement of trial.
The EFCC on April 10, specifically alleged that the accused persons conspired and withdrew money from the Police Pension Fund in an account domiciled at First Bank of Nigeria and shared it amongst themselves.
The anti-graft agency alleged that one of the accused, Inuwa Wada, collected N18 million from Unity Bank Plc, as his reward for retaining the Police Pension Account with the bank.
The EFCC further alleged that the fraud was perpetuated between January 2009 and June 2011.